The seasonally adjusted Irish Live Register total increased from 402,100 in May to 413,500 in June, an increase of 11,400 in the month. This is the smallest monthly increase since last September (see graph above). The standardised unemployment rate in June was up to 11.9% - the highest rate since April 1996.Remember, the Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days a week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseekers Benefit or Allowance. Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey and the latest seasonally adjusted figure, for January to March 2009, is 223,400 unemployed.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen on Wednesday forecast that the number of dole claimants will rise to 500,000 by Christmas and grow further into 2010. It's clear, given the expected international backdrop of years of slow growth, that Irish unemployment will remain elevated for an extended period.
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