The number of people claiming unemployment benefit rose last month to its highest level since September 2004, figures issued by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed today.
The seasonally adjusted Live Register increased last month by 800 from 162,200 in June to 163,000 in July, 5,647 (+3.3 per cent) higher than the same period last year.
The largest percentage increase was in the Midland region (+4.2 per cent), while the smallest percentage increase was in the Dublin region (+1.3 per cent).
Counties that saw the largest percentage increases were Longford and Carlow, both of which saw increases of 8.8 per cent. The smallest percentage increases were in Donegal (+2.4 per cent) and Waterford (+2.9 per cent).
The CSO also said Ireland's standardised unemployment rate last month was 4.6 per cent which was in line with June when it hit the highest point since September 2003.
Ireland's economy has created tens of thousands of new jobs, but a fast-growing population means the unemployment rate has remained fairly static at, or close to, what most consider to be full employment.
Economists are watching labour data increasingly closely, however, for signs that a slowdown in Ireland's once booming property market and lower levels of house building are spilling over into the rest of the economy.
Additional reporting: Reuters