The number of people out of work rose again last month, bringing the seasonally adjusted total to 169,500.

The figure was 500 ahead of February and 5,800 higher than the same month last year.

On an unadjusted basis, the figures showed a fall of 3,335 to 168,059. The unemployment rate remains unchanged at 4.5 per cent.

The latest job figures come just a day after the Government reported a 17.5 per cent increase in notified redundancies in March over the same month last year.

Data earlier this week also showed a fall of 12,300 in industrial employment in the past 12 months.

The seasonally adjusted live register figures show that men accounted for the whole of the increase in those signing on in March.

The fall of 100 in the number of women on the register was offset by a rise of 600 among men. People under the age of 25 accounted for the majority of the increase.

On an unadjusted basis, there were falls in the numbers signing on in all geographic areas apart from the Border region.

Labour said the data were "simply the latest in a long series of warnings that the jobs situation is getting significantly worse".

Labour's employment spokesman, Mr Brendan Howlin, said: "Apart from the almost weekly announcement of major job losses, the live register figures are now 10,000 higher than they were as recently as November."

He accused the Government of "sleepwalking towards a significant jobs crisis" and called on the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, to do more to protect jobs and bring new projects to areas that had suffered most.

Mr Donie Cassidy, chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, acknowledged that the "small rise" was "disappointing" but said unemployment in Ireland was still at historically low levels and the economy remained strong.

He said our unemployment rate was close to half the 8.7 per cent rate for the euro zone as a whole.

"Over 5,000 new jobs have been announced over the first quarter of 2003," he said.

"This is clear evidence that this Government's policies are working."

Speaking for the Green Party, Mr Eamon Ryan said the figures were part of a "worrying overall trend".

"We are in for a very bleak period with the public sector freeze on employment only adding to existing problems with recruitment in the private sector."

The live register includes just over 22,000 casual and part-time works, the majority of them female.