The number of people signing on the Live Register rose slightly last month, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The standardised unemployment rate rose by 0.1 per cent to 14.3 per cent in July as an additional 1,500 people signed on to the Live Register.
Overall, there were 470,284 people on the Live Register last month, up by 0.7 per cent or 34,600 individuals over the year. This increase is 1.1 per cent less than that recorded in June and 8 per cent lower than in July 2010.
The number of long-term claimants increased by 45,508 in the year to the end of last month, bringing to 40.4 per cent the proportion of claimants who have been on the Live Register for one year or more.
In July 2010, the number of long-term claimants made up just 31 per cent of the total.
On a seasonably adjusted basis, an additional 1,300 women and 300 men joined the Live Register last month, the data shows. The number of women claimants rose by 3.7 per cent or 6,150 to 172,514 over the year, while the number of men fell by 0.9 per cent or 2,690 to 297,770.
This compares with annual increase of 10.1 per cent for women and 6.8 per cent for men in the year to 2010.
In July, 59.6 per cent of all people on the Live Register were short-term claimants compared to 69 per cent for the same month a year earlier.
The number of long-term claimants last month was 190,062. The number of male long term claimants increased by 32,494 - or 31 per cent - over the year, while the comparable increase for females was 13,014 or 32.9 per cent.
Jobseeker's allowance claimants now represent 68.2 per cent of all claimants on the register, according to the latest figures.
In July, there were 118,990 jobseeker’s benefit claimants on the Live Register, an annual decrease of 30,738 or 20.5 per cent, while jobseeker’s allowance claimants rose by 29,107 or 10 per cent to 320,701.
The biggest annual increase in Live Register figures in percentage terms was in the midlands at 2.8 per cent.
There were 85,865 casual and part-time workers on the Live Register in July, equivalent to 18.3 per cent of total claimants. This compares with 16.9 per cent one year earlier when there were 79,072 casual and part-time workers on the register.
In the year to the end of last month, the number of casual and part-time workers increased by 6,793, or 8.6 per cent.
Irish nationals accounted for 83.1 per cent of all claimants. In the 12-month period ending in July, the number of Irish nationals on the registers increased by 0.9 per cent while the number of non-Irish nationals rose by 0.1 per cent.
The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment as it includes part-time workers, seasonal and casual workers.
Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey, the latest of which shows that the unemployment rate was 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2011. The average unemployment rate during 2010 was 13.6 per cent.
Isme, which represents smaller businesses, said the latest figures show the Government‘s jobs initiative is not working.
Chief executive Mark Fielding said 225 redundancies every day in July underlined the severity of the problem.
“The expected but still shocking Live Register and redundancy figures show quite clearly that the Government’s action is not having the desired effect on the jobs situation, as evidenced by today’s numbers,” he said.
Mr Fielding said a fifth of smaller businesses have indicated they will be forced into further lay-offs unless serious action is taken. “There is no point in offering grants and tax reductions for job creation without a parallel concerted effort to reduce the overall cost of doing business in Ireland,” he said.
Lobby group Chambers Ireland said although the figures continued to be worrying, the overall data suggested the growth in numbers unemployed may be slowing down.
“It is our expectation that recent positive Government initiatives such as the reform of the JLC system, particularly the removal of the ability to set Sunday premium pay rates will help more businesses to stay open and in turn retain and create more jobs," chief executive Ian Talbot said.
"However, we must not lose sight of the challenges we continue to face and the need to take appropriate measures to address them," Mr Talbot added.
