The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, which had fallen to 4.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2004, rose to 4.6 per cent in the second, according to official data.
The Quarterly National Household Survey, which is widely regarded as the most accurate gauge of employment conditions, found there were 1,836,200 persons in work in the second quarter of 2004, an increase of 42,800 or 2.4 per cent in the year.
There were 84,200 persons unemployed in the second quarter, representing an increase of 2,100 in the year. When seasonal factors are taken into account persons in employment increased by 2,000 in the quarter of 2004 while the numbers unemployed increased by 3,200.
Employment growth was somewhat lower than the 2.9 per cent recorded to the previous quarter but higher than the 1.7 per cent achieved to the corresponding quarter of 2003.
Increases in the numbers in full-time employment accounted for over 85 per cent of the annual change.
The number of persons in short-term unemployment increased by 2,800 to 57,400, whereas the long-term unemployed fell by 900 to 26,300.
Female participation rates increased from 49.1 per cent to 49.4 per cent in the year with male participation rates also showing an increase from 70.5 per cent to 70.9 per cent over the same period.