Fine Gael and the Labour Party have condemned the Government's performance on employment levels after figures released today show an increase of 8,222 on the live register in the six months to April this year.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office today represent an increase of 6.7 per cent (7,171) in short-term claimants, and of 2.4 per cent (1,051) for persons signing on for one year or more.
In April, 28.2 per cent of claimants were long-term, which is a slight decrease on April 2005, which recorded 28.7 per cent long-term claimants.
Fine Gael's Trade and Enterprise spokesman Phil Hogan said the increase represented a 5.5% increase in the number signing on in the last six months.
Mr Hogan said the increase demonstrated "the Government's complacency in relation to costs since the last general election is causing difficulties in the economy."
He added that the Government should concentrate "on the needs of small & medium-sized businesses in the indigenous sector."
The Labour Party's Ruairí Quinn said the figures provided "grounds for some concern." He said the numbers on the live register should "be going down rather than increasing."
Calling for further research to establish the causes for the increase, Mr Quinn said there was a particular need to look at the long-term unemployed of whom many live in disadvantaged communities and cannot find their way into the workforce.
The largest percentage of those claiming long-term benefits was among the 25-34 year age group (27.9 per cent), with those aged 60 to 64 (5 per cent) showing the lowest percentage.
A total of 39.5 per cent (62,391) of claimants on the Live Register have been registered as unemployed for less than three months, with 11.6 per cent (18,289) of all claimants registered for three years or more.
