Unemployment rate hits higest level in four years

The number of unemployment claimants increased again in July, with 7,595 people joining dole queues.

The latest live register figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show the number of people claiming unemployment benefit grew by 4.3 per cent in the month of July.

The addition of those claimants to the dole queue increased the live register to 185,447 - equivalent to 4.8 per cent of the labour force.

This is the highest level in almost four years or since September 1999.

Opposition parties criticised the Government over what they described as its mismanagement of the economy.Fine Gael deputy leader Mr Richard Bruton said the figures showed that the Government had failed to do its share in managing the economy.

According to Labour's Enterprise spokesman, Mr Brendan Howlin, the figures provide "the starkest warning yet that we are on the verge of a major jobs crisis".

He said the 20,000 increase in unemployment over the last two months was "virtually unprecedented in recent economic history".

The live register rose in all parts of the Republic last month, with the largest increase of 6.7 per cent recorded in the midlands. This was followed by the mideast regions, with rises of 6.6 per cent.

The lowest increases occurred in the Border region, with a 3.4 per cent rise and in the southwest with a 3 per cent rise.

The CSO report shows almost three-quarters of new applicants on the live register in July were female.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, admitted the figures were "a matter of some concern.Any increase in unemployment, irrespective of scale, concerns the Government".

However, he said Ireland' unemployment remains 4 per cent below the eurozone average.