Calls have been made for a renewed Government focus on investment in the MidWest in order to boost employment here.
It comes as the latest live register figures show a 5% increase in the number of people claiming some form of unemployment benefit in December despite an 8 per cent drop in figures nationally.
There were 7,744 people claiming some form of unemployment benefit across the county at the end of last year.
The figure marks an annual fall of over 8 per cent, with the rate of reduction strongest outside of Ennis.
Town mayor Councillor Pat Daly says the slow pace of recovery there is partly due to a failure to utilise the industrial estates such as that on the Gort Road.
Elsewhere in Clare, other areas have seen falls of between nine and ten per cent but questions are being asked about the number of jobs that are actually being created.
One local Independent election candidate says the Government needs to re-focus investment in the west of the country.
Sixmilebridge businessman Richard Cahill says the Government has failed to provide the necessary infrastructure to attract new investment to this area.
