Live Register figures rise to 442,000
New figures have revealed that there are 442,599 people on the Live Register.
Last month, there were 444,299 people signing on the Live Register, representing an increase of 1.7% over the year.
When seasonally adjusted - there was a slight decrease of 1,700 people signing on in February.
Overall the Live Register has fallen by 10,000 since its peak in August/September 2010.
The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association has called on the incoming Government to "hit the ground running" and quickly implement policies to address the "calamitous" unemployment problem.
ISME Chief Executive, Mark Fielding, said: "The country is in a dire state, following on from a disastrous 2010. Small business owners are indicating that this situation will deteriorate further, with many companies just about hanging on by their fingernails, unless economic conditions improve.
"The reality is that job creation has to be at the centre of our economic recovery. It is vitally important, therefore, that the new Government puts as much emphasis on job creation and tackling unemployment, as it will put into the banking crisis and renegotiating the EU/IMF bailout.
"With 300,000 people having lost their jobs in the last four years and an anticipated 100,000 expected to emigrate in the next two, there is no time to waste in addressing the unemployment scourge.
The association called for a reduction in the level of employer’s PRSI, the Abolition of the Employment Regulation Orders and an increase in access to credit.
