2020 Vision for Athy - Entire Document - Kildare.ie

Table 3.5 Employment Figures for 1996 and 2002
Persons aged
15+
At work Unemployed Labourforce
Participation
Rate
Unemployment
Rate of
Workforce
1996 2002 1996 2002 1996 2002 1996 2002 1996 2002 1996 2002
Athy
Town
3443 4034 1,354 1919 386 282 1,740 2201 50.54% 54.56% 22.18% 12.81%
Rural
Area
3749 4086 1,685 2134 412 265 2,097 2399 55.93% 58.71% 19.65% 11.05%
Total
DEDs
7192 8120 3,039 4053 793 547 3,837 4600 53.35% 56.65% 20.8% 11.89%
Source: CSO, 1996 & 2002 Census
In an employment survey conducted by Kildare County Council in 2002 the existing jobs within the Athy Urban
District were estimated at 1,640. Tíros Resources Ltd. established in its own survey, undertaken in March 2003,
the approximate number of existing jobs in the rural area of the Study Area at approximately 120. In total 1,760
jobs are located within the Study Area.
Employment Profile
The three broad sectors of economic activity, agriculture, industry and services, have undergone major changes in
the past. In the Census 2002 the diminishing importance of agriculture again became evident, with a share of the
total employment just under 6 per cent in comparison to over 50 per cent in 1926. The share of the service sector,
in contrast, developed in the opposite direction with just over 30 per cent in 1926 and 69 per cent in 2002. The
industry sector grew from 13 per cent in 1926 to 32 per cent in 1981 and has since declined again to 25 per cent in
2002.
Table 3.6 illustrates the changes between 1996 and 2002 in employment sectors in the Study Area. The figures
mirror the development on a national level: agricultural employment is declining in the rural area of the Study
Area, employment in manufacture and industry has also declined, in particular in Athy town, and employment in
commerce is increasing.
Table 3.6 Distribution of Employment Sectors on DED level in 1996 and 2002
Athy Town in % Rural Area in % Total in %
1996 2002 1996 2002 1996 2002
Agriculture 1.77 1.35 20.53 13.0 12.18 7.48
Mining 0.74 N/A 2.37 N/A 1.65 N/A
Manufacture/Industry 29.03 24.39 23.98 22.07 26.23 23.17
Building/Construction 6.28 9.85 6.05 10.52 6.15 10.2
Electro/Gas 0.22 N/A 0.59 N/A 0.43 N/A
Commerce 24.0 24.02 16.14 19.77 19.64 21.78
Transport 3.77 4.79 4.39 4.6 4.11 4.69
Public Admin 6.13 5.58 5.1 5.45 5.56 5.51
Prof. Services 19.13 17.2 13.0 14.74 15.73 15.91
Other 9.13 12.82 7.83 9.86 8.33 11.26
Totals 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Source: CSO, 1996 & 2002 Census
Athy IFPLUT Study 26 Final Report December 2004