The seasonally adjusted total rose by 300 from November to 156,600. This was the third increase in a row, but the figure is still 400 lower than in December 2005.
The headline figure was up 6,860 to 155,389. The unemployment rate was 4.5%.
There were unadjusted monthly increases in all regions in December, with the biggest percentage rise of 7.1% in the Mid-West, with the smallest - 3.1% - in the Dublin area.


















