Young people aged between 25 and 34 years of age have experienced the highest proportional increase among those signing on the Live Register over the year to April.
The number of claimants in this age group rose by 122 per cent over the period, from 55,987 to 124,747.
Those aged between 20 and 24 were the next most affected group, with an 103 per cent increase in the numbers signing on.
According to the CSO the number of short-term claimants the Live Register, those signing on for less than 12 months, has more than doubled in the year to April.
Short-term claimants rose 113 per cent to 166,452 according to the Central Statistics Office with almost three-quarters of these people joining the register between October 2008 and April 2009.
The number of long-term claimants, or those signing on for over one-year, increased by 43 per cent in the 12 months to last April.
Fine Gael labour affairs spokesman Damien English said those aged between 25 to 34 were facing a "looming unemployment catastrophe".
"These are the same people who bought into the housing bubble, purchasing hastily-built properties at inflated prices, and are now left in negative equity. Their lives are effectively on hold. Trapped in their locality
because they cannot sell or rent their home, they cannot seek work elsewhere in Ireland," he said.
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