The rate at which joblessness in Ireland is increasing fell back during May 2011, new figures show.

According to the Central Statistics Office, there was an increase in the standardized unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage points over the month from April to 14.8 per cent.

The number of people on the live register of unemployed adults rose by 0.6 per cent, or 2,600 people, during May 2011, with men accounting for most of the growth.

However, the rise was lower than the increase of 6,914 between March and April, while year-on-year there has been a decline of 2,095 in the number of male claimants on the Live Register.

Ireland has seen an increase during the 12 months to May 2011 of 7.7 per cent in the number of casual and part-time workers out of jobs.

The Irish Times recently reported that the number of positions in the country at foreign businesses provided with assistance by the state climbed by 0.2 per cent in 2010 to stand at just short of 155,000.

Posted by Alex Donnell