Unemployment remains at 14.7%

An additional 1,100 people signed on to the Live Register in March, new data from the Central Statstics Office showed today, but the standardised unemployment rate remained unchanged from February.

That brings to 442,000 the number of people signing on the register on a seasonally adjusted basis. This is some 6,800 below the peak level seen in September last year.

The standardised unemployment rate in March was 14.7 per cent, unchanged from February and in line with the latest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from the Quarterly National Household Survey.

The Live Register also includes casual and part-time workers.

More women than men were added to the Live Register during the month, with an additional 900 women signing on compared to 300 men.

A greater number of casual and part-time workers signed on over the year to March, rising by 7.9 per cent or 6,306 to 86,155. The latest rise means that casual and part-time workers now account for almost 20 per cent of the register, compared with 12.1 per cent three years ago.

The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association has called on the Government to deliver on its jobs and address what it described as the ongoing "disastrous" unemployment. The group is also seeking an overhaul of Government controlled business costs.

"In their first hundred days the Government must refocus on jobs and rebalance their overall efforts away from the banks and NAMA in favour of job retention and creation," said chief executive Mark Fielding. "However, the new government's plan for jobs will be a waste of time, effort and money if business costs remain at the current high levels."

Ibec said it was "disappointing" and said long-term unemployment was becoming a serious problem.