Live register figures more than treble in five years

Offaly had over 9,100 people signing on the live register by the end of 2010 - a figure more than three times higher then five years ago when the Celtic Tiger was in full swing. The latest annual live register figures released by the CSO on Monday showed a total of 9,162 people signing on, an increase from 2,771 in 2005. The final figures of last year were broken down into 6,107 men and 3,055 women signing on at Birr, Tullamore and Edenderry social welfare offices. Tullamore had nearly double the amount of people signing on compared to either Birr or Edenderry. In Tullamore, there are now 4,229 people signing on, nearly four times the amount of people (1,211) compared to five years ago. There's 2,431 people signing on in Birr and 2,502 in Edenderry. This has increased from 882 people and 678 people respectively since 2005. The county's highest live register total last year was in August, when 9,284 people were signing on. The latest figures also show an increase in the number of long term unemployed in the Midlands with December showing as a poor month for unemployment, reversing a slightly improving trend in the previous four months. Fine Gael's general election candidate for Laois/Offaly Marcella Corcoran Kennedy urged the government to adopt a “more ambitious†labour market strategy to address the increase in long-term employment. “Action needs to be taken immediately to implement an ambitious labour market strategy to try and stem the growing numbers emigrating as well as activating those who are at risk of becoming marginalised from the labour force,†he said. “The latest CSO figures show a massive increase in the numbers of long term unemployed with two out of every five men, who are on the live register, are now long term unemployed. Opportunities must be given to people to activate themselves and to assist in whatever way we can as we face these tough times.†Ms Corcoran Kennedy said there is a worrying trend of people forced to emigrate as well as a core of people, who are out of work, not being offered opportunities. She said that Fine Gael had proposed a number of initiatives that could reverse these “frightening trends†including a work experience programme.