High volumes of Irish citizens still emigrating for improved opportunities

As reported by Work Permit, large volumes of Irish citizens are still emigrating to other nations, especially Australia, say official figures. Data from Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship show a 68% rise in the amount of visas given to Irish workers during the past 12 months—with 3,095 in 2011, a jump from 1,840 in 2010.

In 2011, Ireland's Central Statistics Office reported that emigration rates among Irish citizens had gone up sharply. The data showed a jump to 76,400 during the year leading up to April 2011, a 16.9% rise from 2010. Many people are leaving Ireland because of high unemployment ( 14%) and a lack of employment even for the most qualified people.

For many years, Australia has proved to be a popular immigration destination amongst emigrating Irish citizens. There have been various times in Irish history where waves of Irish people emigrate to Australia, including the 1840s potato famine.

The continuous flow of outgoing Irish emigrants has been aiding to fill Australia's labour shortfalls, particularly in the construction and mining industries. Rob Knight, who is Australia's Northern Territory Minister for Business and Employment, said at a recent Dublin jobs fair that his region in Australia desperately needed skilled workers, with tens of thousands of positions to be filled.