The two bar charts compare approximate unemployment rates in Ireland with the numbers of people leaving the country in 1988, 2000 and 2008. Unemployment is measured as a percentage, whereas emigration is expressed as a number of people.
Overall, both indicators were lower in 2000 than at the beginning of the comparison, before rising again by 2008. However, the final unemployment rate remained below its initial level, while the number of emigrants finished slightly higher.
In 1988, unemployment stood at about 17%. By 2000, it had fallen to approximately 4%, the lowest of the three readings shown. The rate then rose to around 9% in 2008. This was more than twice the 2000 figure, although it was still considerably below the level recorded in 1988.
The number of people leaving Ireland followed a similar pattern across the selected years. Approximately 40,000 people emigrated in 1988, compared with around 25,000 in 2000. By 2008, the figure had increased to roughly 45,000, exceeding the initial reading by about 5,000. These selected points show changes between the dates, rather than the pattern in every intervening year.