Edenderry unemployment increases by 130% last year

Dole queues in Edenderry have sky-rocketed by over 130% in just twelve months, one of the highest increases in the country, shocking new CSO figures have indicated this week. The North Offaly town is suffering the worst effects of the economic recession with 2,137 people out of work in May, up from just 926 twelve months earlier, the highest percentage increase in the Faithful County over that time. Unemployment rose by 92% in Birr over the period and 88% in Tullamore to 1,892 and 3,550 respectively. In fact, outside of the major cities Edenderry has the third highest rise in the numbers out of work around Ireland in the last year, only beaten by Westport in Mayo with a jump of 135% and Galway town Loughrea at a startling 150%. Throughout Offaly the number of people claiming unemployment now stands at 7,579. Countrywide, just prior to Friday"s Local Elections the news was even more bleak as Live Register figures breached the 400,000 mark, rising by 13,500. The unemployment rate now stands at 11.8% compared 11.4 per cent in April and 7.7 per cent at the end of December 2008. The Labour Party described the latest figures for May as 'truly shocking.' 'This is the 19th successive month in which the numbers on the Live Register have increased. There are now 242,871 more on the Live Register than in May 2007,' said Midlands Deputy Willie Penrose, the party"s Enterprise, Trade and Employment spokesman. 'Those of us who lived through the 1980s hoped that we would never again see such numbers on the Live Register; now we are seeing figures of more than 100,000 greater than anything seen in the worst days of the 1980s.' He concluded: 'If the government continues to ignore the unemployment crisis the country will continue to not just suffer economic damage, but also face the prospect of long term unemployment doing untold social damage to communities all over the country.'