The biggest monthly unemployment figure this year was recorded in May with 8,042 people being made redundant.
Figures from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment show that for the first five months of this year, redundancies are running 166% higher than in the same period last year, at 35,925.
Earlier, the group representing small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland called on the Government to introduce an emergency employment action plan.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association says some 70,000 jobs in the sector are in immediate danger.
In a survey published today, ISME confirms that almost all such businesses have introduced either a pay cut or a wage freeze since the start of the year.
ISME is calling for an emergency plan including PRSI exemptions for employers taking on new staff and job maintenance subsidies to deal with the number of firms planning lay-offs.
According to the organisation's survey, this has risen to 35% from 25% two months ago.
ISME Chief Executive Mark Fielding said that immediate action was called for and that drawn-out negotiations with trade unions needed to be cut short.
He said that it was better to have workers remaining in employment than to add to the Exchequer costs by becoming what he called a burden on the State.
