Cork and Kerry jobless up 170% in some areas

THE numbers claiming the dole in parts of Cork and Kerry have increased by up to 170% in the last year, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.

As of May 2009 there were 39,941 people on the live register in Cork. That is 104% more than in the same month in 2008. The increase is almost as marked in Kerry. There the number claiming the dole has jumped by 98%, from 7,643 in May 2008 to 15,204 a year later.

Worryingly, the biggest percentage increases in dole claimants appear to be areas with high population. In Killarney, the number on the live register has leapt by 170% from 1,092 to 2,953.