Recent labour market reforms introduced to tackle unemployment

The substantial rise in unemployment following the onset of the crisis overwhelmed Ireland’s fragmented system for the delivery of placement and other employment services, including training programmes, and put significant pressure on social expenditures. Moreover, social welfare benefits had been administered separately from employment services. As a consequence – and following the recommendation of the OECD (Grubb et al., 2009) – a major reform was introduced in 2011 to develop an integrated one-stop system to administer workingage benefits and employment services. This was followed by the wider Pathways to Work Strategy that combined reforms to the benefit system, employment programmes and services for jobseekers and employers.

At the same time, the level and duration of unemployment insurance benefits has also been reduced. This integrated system is being implemented through the creation of “Intreo” one-stop centres, which are being introduced progressively throughout Ireland. Full implementation of the Pathways to Work strategy is a core component of the APJ. This includes the roll-out of the Intreo centres and progress with the JobPath initiative to contract private providers to provide re-employment services to the long-term unemployed. As of September 2013, 17 Intreo offices

had been opened with a view to achieving the year-end target of 43 (of which 33 are new offices)6.