Unemployment % dont add up

[homeowner]

The unemployment numbers being mentioned this week seem odd.
Apparently we are at 10.4% unemployment with 354,000 on the live register. That would assume a working population of 3.54 million.

The total population according to last census was 4,239,848.
That means that roughly 700,000 people in Ireland are not eligible to work (taking not eligible to work meaing under 16 years or still in school, in third level education, over 65 years or disabled).

The 2006 census say that there are almost 1 million people 16 years or younger in the country: [broken link removed]

I cant make out how they arrive at 3.54 million as the total workforce.

Does anyone know how they get 10.4%?

 

[Protocol]

Very good point.

The key thing to remember is that the Live Register does not measure unemployment. It is a claimant count.


The CSO state this on page 1 of the Live Register. See here:

[broken link removed]

Unemployment is measures by the Quarterly National Household Survey, see here:
[broken link removed]


So there are 171,000 people unemployed in Ireland in Sep-Nov 2008.

 

[jhegarty]

People who are working short time are counted in the figure.

So they are counted twice on the live register , but also as working.

 

[Gordanus]

Very good point.

The key thing to remember is that the Live Register does not measure unemployment. It is a claimant count.


So there are 171,000 people unemployed in Ireland in Sep-Nov 2008.

so does anyone know what were the highest ever numbers of unemployed and the lowest, and when? Just to compare.