There’s been a marginal increase in the number of people claiming some form of unemployment benefit in Clare over the past month.
The latest figures from the CSO show that there’s now just over 4,700 people on the live register around the county, a rise of only 17 people.
But while the dole queues eased in the east of the county, the numbers signing on in North and West Clare shot up.
The CSO’s latest report shows that at the end of October, 4,707 people were on the live register across Clare, a jump of just 17 on September’s figure, and a 13% drop on the same month last year.
It’s the second consecutive month that the number signing on has stayed below 5,000, having dipped to a ten year low in September.
But while the county town and East Clare saw a fall in the number of people signing on, there were rises in the West and North of the county.
The dole queues in Ennis reduced by 47 to 2,502, while 40 people entered the workforce in East Clare, putting its total at 640.
North Clare saw the biggest rise of 70 people signing on, bringing the total number to 797, while West Clare’s dole numbers rose by 34 to 768.
The rises in these areas last month could be attributed to the tourist season drawing to an end in September.
