The number of people signing on in Clare has risen over the 5,000 mark once again.
That’s a monthly jump of nearly 200 – however, it’s still around 1,000 less people in dole queues in this county than there was a year ago.
According to the CSO’s latest live register figures, at the end of last month there were 5,009 people signing on in Clare.
Just two months previously, that figure had dipped below the 5,000 mark for the first time in a decade.
This number is just shy of 200 more than had been signing on at the end of November, a trend that largely mirrors that of the rise the same time a year previous.
There was a marginal rise in every area of the county though North Clare experienced the greatest increase, with 80 more people joining dole queues, bringing the total number to 974.
There’s now over 2,500 people signing on in the county town, with a jump of 49 seen in Ennis in December.
West Clare’s dole numbers rose by 37 to 853, while in the East of the county there was a rise of just 29 to 660.
Despite the rise in numbers, the total figure is still almost 1,000 less than it was a year ago.
