14% Jump In Numbers Claiming Unemployment Benefit In Clare Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

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There’s been a 14% jump in the number of people claiming some form of unemployment benefit in Clare, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Close to 680 people joined the Live Register is this county in the month of March, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, which have just been published.

The vast majority of those are from the greater Ennis area.

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An additional 679 people joined the dole queues in Clare in the past month, according to the latest figures from the CSO.

It means there are now 5,473 people claiming some form of unemployment benefit in the county, the highest number for the month of March since 2018.

The vast majority of those were in the greater Ennis area, where 585 people signed on, while in stark contrast, the figure in North Clare was 13.

In the East of the county, numbers increased by 41 and in the West, there was a rise of 40.

It’s the first time Live Register figures have been published since the coronavirus pandemic took hold and businesses across the country were forced to close their doors.

Nationally, 513,000 people are now claiming some form of unemployment benefit including almost 300 thousand people who’ve lost their jobs and are receiving the special pandemic payment.

Dermot O’Leary from Goodbody Stockbrokers says the figures are unprecedented.