Clare residents are again being encouraged to support local businesses, as new figures reveal just how many people here are leaving Clare for work.
Census data shows that while thousands here have gotten work, many of them are going outside of the county, with some travelling long distances.
An analysis of the census data shows that an additional 3,600 people in Clare joined the workforce between 2011 and 2016.
Of that number, more than three quarters are working outside of the county – with Limerick the most likely destination outside of the Banner.
The numbers of people who live in Clare but work in Dublin is also on the up, along the number of local residents working abroad.
Deirdre Frost of the Western Development Commission, which carried out the analysis of this Census data, says the improved roads network here has partly driven the trend.
But with workers increasingly leaving the county for work, what does that mean for those in West Clare, in particular, for whom that can mean a much longer journey?
Many people have long-expressed concern that they’re unable to find work on their own doorsteps and are forced to travel for it.
Vice Chair of Kilkee Chamber of Commerce says there’s some work to be done before people are likely to stay in more rural areas.
