The number of people claiming social welfare payments in Dundalk rose for the first time in six months in January, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office.
The Live Register figures for the area shows there were 6,734 people signing on in the area last month, up 1.9% from the 6,611 in the previous month – effectively wiping out the fall recorded in December, which was also 1.9%.
Prior to this month there had been five consecutive months of falls but the current figures still means the number of people signing on is at its lowest since November 2010 when 6,449 claiming dole in the town.
The overall figure for Louth also rose by 2.2% in January from 15,376 to 15,713.
These figures bucked the national trend, which showed unemployment continuing to fall last month.
