Catholics are still twice as likely to be unemployed as Protestants despite recent improvements, according to new labour market statistics.
The latest Labour Force Survey, published on Friday, shows that 31,000 Catholics are classed as economically inactive and want to work compared to 15,000 Protestants.
Foyle Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson said the figures prove that “huge inequalit
ies” still exist in the North.
“It's important to go beyond the simple definition ‘unemployed’ as an indicator. Unemployment figures alone do not paint the full picture as they ignore a whole range of people such as those on certain benefits or training programmes who are defined as ‘economically inactive’. It is only by taking these two categories together that we will get a true reflection of who we are failing as a society.
“And when you look at the statistics in greater detail, they show that there are still twice as many Catholics who are economically inactive and who want work, as there are Protestants,” she said.
Ms Anderson also said the Catholic middle class is expanding but working class Protestants are not benefiting from the peace dividend.
“While the Catholic middle class continues to grow because of more Catholics obtaining third level education and getting better jobs, working class Protestants are becoming more vulnerable to unemployment because of the demise of the industries they were traditionally employed in.”
“So while the inequalities between the two communities are narrowing, we are also witnessing a high proportion of both Catholics and Protestants who are being left behind.”
