Carndonagh in Co Donegal was Ireland's worst unemployment blackspot in 2002, with one in five of its labour force out of work, according to the latest batch of census statistics.
The figures which were extrapolated from the 2002 Census show Enniscorthy, Carrick-on-Suir, Castleblayney and Dundalk, with unemployment rates of 19 per cent, were next in line.
The census statistics put unemployment at 8.8 per cent, much higher than the generally accepted figure produced by the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS), which estimates unemployment at 4.2 per cent.
The CSO puts the difference down to the manner in which the two surveys are conducted. The census is completed by one responsible adult in each household, while the QNHS is based by face-to-face interviews.
The census relates to all persons present in the State at the time of the census while the QNHS covers persons usually resident in Ireland. The census is a complete enumeration while the QNHS is a sample survey and the QNHS has a much wider range of questions on the labour force which may have a bearing on the responses received to individual questions.
In general, unemployment was higher in urban (9.5 per cent) than in rural (7.9 per cent) areas.
Nearly 60 per cent of persons aged 15 years and over, who were living in urban areas, were in the labour force in April 2002 compared with a figure of 56 per cent for rural areas.
Towns in the greater Dublin area had the highest proportion of persons engaged in the labour force in 2002. The labour force participation rate was highest in Swords (71 per cent) followed by Naas, Celbridge and Navan (68 per cent). These towns also had the highest labour force female participation rates.
One out of every five workers in Killarney was employed in the hotel industry in 2002. Next highest were Kilkenny and Galway City (9 per cent), while the proportion at State level was 5 per cent.
Waterford City had the highest proportion of workers employed in manufacturing industries. Carrigaline (25 per cent), Clonmel (23 per cent) and Carlow (21 per cent) were next in line. At State level the relevant proportion was 15 per cent.
Dingle had highest percentage of employers/self-employed Over a quarter of persons employed in Dingle were either employers or self-employed, compared with an average for the State of 17 per cent.