Unemployment reaches five-year high at 4.8%

Unemployment in Ireland has hit a new five-year high, according to the latest Quarterly National Household Survey.

The Central Statistics Office says the unemployment rate now stands at 4.8%, the highest since 2003.

The total number of people out of work has increased by almost 10% over the past year, with almost 10,000 jobs lost in the construction sector.

The number of people in employment has also increased, but the growth rate is currently 2.6%, compared to 3.8% this time last year.

There are currently more than 100,000 unemployed people in Ireland, the majority of them men.