The given chart illustrates the percentage of unemployed citizens in Ireland alongside the number of Irish emigrants between 1988 and 2008.
Overall, it is evident that the unemployment rate reached its peak in 1988, and a similar trend can be seen in the emigration data for Ireland. Additionally, there was a significant decline in unemployment levels during the examined period.
Looking at the unemployment rate in Ireland, 17% in 1988 was recorded as the highest statistic. Over the next eight years, the rate fluctuated between just over 16% and 12%. Following this, there was a dramatic decrease, dropping to approximately 5% from 1995 to 2000. However, by the final years of the period analyzed, the unemployment rate rose by about 2%.
In terms of emigration numbers, the number of Irish leavers plummeted from 60,000 in 1988 to approximately 35,000 in 1992. The number of emigrants continued to decline slightly, reaching 25,000 in 2002, before witnessing an increase to nearly 50,000 in 2008.
