The Central Statistics Office said today the numbers signing on – when seasonal factors are taken into account – climbed by 8,500 from June, to reach 452,500.

The increase is the biggest in the past year. The figures show that women accounted for more than half of the increase.

The unadjusted figure showed that there were 466,800 people signing on, an increase of almost 14,000 from June. The CSO said the unemployment rate rose to 13.7% from 13.4% in June.

For the first time, the Live Register figures include details of the sector in which applicants previously worked. The largest percentage increase was in the professional group – the number of white-collar workers signing on for the first time rose by 12.3% in the last month alone.

In the six months since January, the number of unemployed professionals has risen by 22.8%.

The Live Register includes some part-time, seasonal and casual workers. It is not designed to measure unemployment, though it is regarded as the most up-to-date indicator of the state of the jobs market.