FIGURES FROM the Central Statistics Office for the number of people under 25 years claiming unemployment benefit show Laois at the top of the table, with an increase of 95.2 per cent in the last year.
A total of 1,091 people in this age group signed on last month in Laois, compared with 559 in September 2007. Meath comes second on the list with 94.5 per cent, representing a rise to 1,122 people from 577 the previous year.
Among the other counties at the top of the scale were Kildare (79.8 per cent); Monaghan (78.1 per cent); Cavan (78 per cent); Leitrim (75.6 per cent); Kerry (75.5 per cent); Donegal (73.4 per cent); North Tipperary (72.4 per cent) and Kilkenny (71.9 per cent).
When all age groups are taken into account, Laois again tops the table at 80.5 per cent, with Meath in second place at 76.0 per cent.
Others badly hit included Monaghan (67.5 per cent); Cavan (64.4 per cent); Kildare (66.6 per cent); Kilkenny (64.5 per cent) and Carlow (60 per cent).
Fine Gael's spokesman on employment Leo Varadkar said: "I don't detect any sense of urgency from the Government about this situation. We are progressively seeing a return to high levels of unemployment and I don't see any response, particularly in relation to the under-25 age group."
The figures are not seasonally adjusted. The live register is not designed to measure unemployment; it shows principally the number of benefit claimants. However, movements on the register provide a useful insight into short-term unemployment trends.
