The graph illustrates the unemployment levels in Ireland and the number of people leaving the country over a twenty-year period, between 1988 and 2008.
Overall, it can be seen that unemployment rate remained higher than the amount of people migrating from the country, however, both of these statements exhibited a downfall trend in almost the same period of years.
In 1988, almost 18% of people were unemployed, and this percentage fluctuated and by 1990s returned to 18% before commencing a significant decline to 5% by 2000. Then, this proportion remained stable, varying between 4% and 6% by about 2006, and then rose considerably to about 10% until 2008. As we can see, unemployment rate remained higher for more times than the number of people leaving the country.
Regarding to the number of people migrating to other countries from Ireland, it is noteworthy that about 40,000 of people left the country in 1988, followed by a significant growth to more 60,000 people by 1990. Then, this was trailed by a noticeable drop to less than 40,000 people that left the country, and until 2005 the number of people leaving the country remained stable, varying between 30,000 and 37,000 people before commencing a gradual rise to about 42,000 people migrating to other countries from Ireland by 2008.