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Census 2006 – A Profile of the Working Population of Large Towns

Most large towns were net gainers in terms of commuters

The working population exceeded the number of resident workers in most large towns in Ireland in April 2006. The excess was largest in absolute terms in Dublin (+48,000) and in proportionate terms in Sligo and Castlebar where the number of workers almost doubled.

This information is contained in a new report published today by the Central Statistics Office, in collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Institute, on the working populations of Ireland's largest centres of employment at the time of the 2006 Census. Of the towns profiled in the report those which experienced the greatest losses were Swords, Bray, Navan and Drogheda - all within commuting distance of Dublin.

The report profiles 27 towns, each with a working population in excess of 5,000 persons in April 2006, and focuses on the principal characteristics of the relevant workers including their commuting patterns, the industrial sectors in which they worked and their educational and socio-economic characteristics. The selected towns accounted for 42 per cent of the
total persons at work in April 2006.

Similar traits in many towns

Many of the towns covered exhibited similar traits, with manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and health and social work employing large numbers in almost all of them. Common travel characteristics were also evident, with the car being the dominant mode of transport to work.

The individual town profiles also reveal some interesting facts:

• Leixlip's working population had the highest level of education, with over two thirds of workers educated to third level.
• Killarney had the highest dependence on the tourism sector with 28 per cent of workers in the hotels and restaurants industry.
• Athlone had the highest share of workers in education, while Portlaoighise had the highest share of workers in public administration and defence.

For copies of the publication contact:

Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork.

or

Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.

Price: €10

Copies can also be downloaded from the CSO website (see below).

For further information contact:

Shaun Mc Laughlin (01) 895 1474

Deirdre Cullen       (01) 895 1334

Central Statistics Office, Swords Business Campus, Balheary Road, Swords, Co. Dublin.

Census Enquiries: (01) 895 1460/61/63/66
Fax: (01) 895 1399
E-mail: census@cso.ie
Internet: www.cso.ie

30 April 2009

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