200,000 people are on dole for over a year

The number of people on the dole for more than a year is at an all-time high, it emerged yesterday.

While the unemployment rate remained static at 14.8% last month, more than 200,000 of the 460,000 signing on (or 43%) for benefits were classified as long-term unemployed.

Official figures revealed another 1,600 young people joined the social welfare system during July.