Irelands economic turnaround over the past six years has been remarkable. Unemployment has fallen from a high of 16% to 5.1% with almost 360,000 new jobs created since 2012. Forecast growth for 2018 is 5.6%, driven by record exports and underpinned by solid domestic demand.
It is this very success and pace of growth which is putting pressures on certain parts of the economy. We are also operating in an uncertain environment – with Brexit as well as developments in international trade and taxation. We also face challenges as the pace of technology impacts on jobs, business models and sectors.
The Cabinet has agreed to the development of a new cross Government strategy aimed at the next phase of Ireland’s economic development – Future Jobs Programme.
The Future Jobs Programme aims to deliver the required policy reforms through cross-government commitment and engagement with business and the wider community. It is about building resilience into our economy and taking steps to prepare for the challenges we face.
Future Jobs will set out long term ambitions for the future of the economy, taking account of these challenges, then translate these into specific short-term actions which can be taken on an annual basis, starting in 2019.
