YOUNG men are emigrating from Ireland at almost twice the rate of women, new findings have shown. Fears of a "gender imbalance" among the Irish population have been sparked as a result of the research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute. The data shows that since Ireland's economy went into free-fall towards the end of the first decade of the new century, one in 10 men aged between 20 and 30 have left for countries such as the U.S. or Australia. However, the same results show that just one in 20 young women of the same age group did likewise.
At least 40,000 people from that age group have departed Irish shores since 2006, although the true figure is thought to be much higher. Meanwhile, one of the causes of the high male emigration rate is the collapse of the construction sector in Ireland.
Previous claims by the Irish government that the high emigration rate was due to foreign national leaving Ireland to return to their native countries are contradicted by the findings, and the report's authors warn the high rate of departure could lead to a future pension crisis, and even a shortage of children.
Speaking of the effect on the job market, the report stated: "As employment opportunities remain weak, migration will remain high and the proportion of immigrants in unemployment will increase."
The paper gave a bleak prediction that emigration will remain high in years to come, with more opportunities perceived to be available overseas.
