The number of people out of work rose again in March, according to the latest live register figures for the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Although the live register actually fell by 85 in March to 162,252, when adjusted for seasonal factors it rose by 3,800 to 164,600.
In the year to March 2002, the live register rose by 26,367 to 162,252, the CSO said. The standardised unemployment rate stood at 4.3 per cent, up from 4.2 per cent in February and 3.7 per cent in April 2001.
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, described the figures as encouraging. He said they could not realistically be compared with those for the same period last year, as the timing of Easter - which fell in April last year - influenced the data. Easter sees a seasonal rise in the data because, with schools closed, school wardens, cleaners and temporary teachers sign on to the register.
"I am optimistic that our jobs market is getting through the difficulties experienced in the recent past and that workers who lose their jobs are taking up positions with other firms," said Mr Ahern.
Mr Ahern said the data showed a fall of almost 92,600 in the number of people signing on since the Government came into office.
But the Labour spokesman on social, community and family affairs, Mr Tommy Broughan, described the rise in the live register numbers as "alarming" and said job losses were now at a rate not seen since the 1980s.
"Both the actual and seasonally adjusted figures have increased by almost 25,000 since last summer," he said. "In addition, there are a number of other major closures - including the announcement of more than 230 jobs at Aventis in Nenagh, which have yet to impact on the live register figures."
The Government's failure to develop adequate responses to rising unemployment was leading to the unravelling of the economic boom, said Fine Gael spokesman on enterprise, trade and employment, Mr Charlie Flanagan.
"Unacceptable delays in the planning process, huge uncertainty over the National Development Plan, postponement of the National Spatial Strategy, no regional policy, spiralling insurance costs and a national transport nightmare are all contributing to our job losses and damaging our economy," he said.
Mr Eric Conroy, of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, was concerned at the "incessant rise" in the live register figures over the past seven months and said a systematic approach by all Government agencies was required to find replacement jobs.
Mr Austin Hughes, economist with IIB Bank, said the figures roughly corresponded to those seen in the US jobs market over the same period. "With signs of stabilisation in the US labour market emerging in the past couple of months, it would not seem unreasonable to suggest that ... the Irish live register may see the pace of increase moderate further over the balance of the year," he said.
