Official figures show that the number of people signing on crept up in March, having fallen in February.
Read the full CSO report
When adjusted to take seasonal factors into account, the Live Register was up 600 from last month to 433,000, while it shows an increase of 65,600 from the same time a year ago.
The Central Statistics Office estimated that the unemployment rate in the month was 13.4%.
The headline figure showed a drop of 1,835 to stand at 435,121.
This represented an increase of almost 18% from the same month last year, and a slowdown from the 24% annual rise recorded in February.
Live Register figures have been more stable in recent months, following the sharp rises recorded in the early part of 2009.
MABS
Separately, an organisation which helps people who are in debt has said 6,000 new clients have sought advice from them since the start of this year.
Representatives from the Money Advice and Budgeting Service were before an Oireachtas committee today and said they now have 31,000 clients on their books.
They said the average amount owed by new clients is €15,500.
