Live Register rises slightly in April

The number of people on the Live Register grew slightly during April with an extra 700 people signing on.

According to the Central Statistics Office, the seasonally adjusted figures show that the total increased from 157,500 in March to 158,200 in April, compared with a fall of 300 in March. On a yearly basis, there was a fall of 200 people on the Live Register.

The unadjusted figures showed a decrease of 1,550 during the month. Geographically, this was reflected in six regions, with the largest percentage decrease in the Mid-West region with a 2.2 per cent fall.

The largest percentage increase was in the Mid-East region, with a 0.4 per cent rise.

Kerry topped the list of counties for the largest percentage decreases, with a 5.3 per cent fall, closely followed by Clare at 4.6 per cent. Laois and Carlow saw the largest percentage increases, with 3.5 per cent and 2.1 per cent rises, respectively.

The unemployment rate for April stood at 4.3 per cent.