More jobless in Tuam and Ballinasloe have dependants

Almost one-third of people in Tuam and Ballinasloe who are in receipt of unemployment benefits have dependants, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.

And the statistics – published for the first time ever by the CSO – show that in the entire county, 26% of claimants have dependants, which is almost on a par with the national average of 27%.

In County Galway as a whole, 5,420 of the 20,710 on the Live Register had dependants.

A further breakdown of the of the figures show the highest rate of dependants in the county were recorded in Tuam and Ballinasloe, both at 31%.

In Tuam, 980 of the 3,190 people on the Live Register had dependants, while in Ballinasloe, 720 of the 2,330 had dependants.

Loughrea recorded a rate of 29% (640 of the 2,220 in receipt of unemployment assistance).

In Gort, the rate was 23%, where 330 of the 1,410 had dependants. Clifden recorded the same rate as Galway City at 24% (240 of the 1,010 on the Live Register). In Galway City, one quarter of people who are in receipt of unemployment assistance have dependants.

Of the 10,550 people who were on the Live Register in the city in July, a total of 2,510 had dependants. That equates to around 24%.

The highest rate recorded across the country was in Blanchardstown in Dublin (37%), followed by Portlaoise at 36%.

The lowest rates of dependants were recorded in Tara Street in Dublin city centre (14%), followed by Bantry in West Cork (15%) and Kings Inn Street in Dublin (16%).

Meanwhile a breakdown of the unemployment figures in the city, shows that of the 10,550 on the Live Register, 5,780 (55%) were single; 3,310 (31%) were married, 680 (6%) were cohabiting; 360 (3%) separated and 30 people were legally separated. 40 were widowed, while the marital status of 360 claimants was unknown (around 3%).

In the county as a whole (including the city), of the 20,710 on the Live Register, 10,430 were single; 7,370 married; 80 widowed; 1,410 cohabiting; 640 separated; 70 legally separated and 720 had an unknown status.

In Tuam, 1,390 were single; 1,330 married; ten widowed; 210 cohabiting; 90 separated; ten legally separated and 160 had an unknown status.

In Loughrea, 990 were single; 910 married; 170 cohabiting; 60 separated; ten legally separated and 70 ‘unknown’. In Ballinasloe, 1,080 were single; 920 were married; ten widowed; 200 cohabiting; 60 separated; 20 legally separated and 50 unknown.

In Gort, 620 were single; 610 married; ten widowed; 90 cohabiting; 40 separated and 30 unknown, while in Clifden, 580 were single; 290 were married; 70 cohabiting; 30 separated; ten legally separated and 40 unknown.