COMMUTER BELT counties such as Meath and Kildare have experienced the largest percentage increases in numbers signing on the live register over the past year, new figures show.
Official figures show unemployment more than doubled in counties such as Meath (up 114 per cent), Laois (103 per cent) and Kildare (101 per cent).
Border counties such as Monaghan (108 per cent) and Cavan (107 per cent) were also badly hit.
Among the areas with the smallest percentage increases over the past year were Waterford (65 per cent) and Dublin (75 per cent).
In addition to the unemployment gloom in the commuter belt, new figures compiled by Permanent TSB indicate that these counties have suffered the steepest house price falls.
House prices within commuting distance of the capital have fallen by up to 17 per cent over the past year, compared to about 10 per cent nationally.
A breakdown of live register figures also shows the proportion of foreign nationals signing on since January of 2008 has increased sharply.
While the number of Irish nationals signing on over the last year has jumped by 80 per cent, the number of foreign nationals has increased by 140 per cent.
This increase has been felt most sharply by members of former EU accession states, with numbers jumping by more than 250 per cent over the past 12 months.
The figures are based on returns from 122 social welfare offices nationwide compiled by the Central Statistics Office. The overall figures show unemployment rose to a 13-year high with more than 327,800 unemployment claimants on the live register.
When broken down by social welfare offices, the figures show that numbers seeking unemployment benefit have more than doubled in dozens of local offices.
The biggest percentage increase was at the Westport, Co Mayo office (up 124 per cent between January 2008 and 2009), followed by Ballybofey, Co Donegal (123 per cent), Castlepollard, Co Westmeath (122 per cent), Kells, Co Meath (121 per cent), Monaghan town (120 per cent) and Portlaoise, Co Laois (120 per cent).
Labour’s spokeswoman on social affairs Róisín Shortall TD said yesterday that the figures may even underestimate the extent of unemployment throughout the country.
This is because of a number of categories of unemployed people who are being denied benefits, she said.
“Self-employed people don’t generally qualify for jobseeker’s benefit so they must apply instead for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance,” Ms Shortall said.
“However, current rules mean that the deciding officer must look at the applicant’s previous year’s earnings to ascertain their means. . . The pace of the economic downturn means that in most cases last year’s earnings are no reflection of a person’s current means.”
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin told the Dáil this week that deciding officers were allowed to exercise flexibility.
