New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the seasonally adjusted Live Register total for January stood at 176,700 people, up by 1,400 people or 0.8% from December.
The CSO said the unadjusted Live Register total stood at 177,264 people in January. The CSO noted that 55% of those on the Live Register were men.
Today's CSO figures also show that the 35-44 age group made up the largest number of people signing on the Live Register in January - representing 23.6% of the total.
Four counties saw an increase in the number of people on the Live Register in the 12 months to January 2024 - Meath (7.5%), Laois (3.7%), Leitrim (2.3%) and Offaly (2.1%).
Meanwhile, the counties that saw the largest percentage decrease in the numbers on the Live Register over the same time were Kilkenny, with a drop of 16.3%, Cavan (down 14.5%) and Kerry (down 10.1%).
The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment as it includes part-time workers as well as seasonal and casual workers who are entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance.
Figures earlier this week from the CSO showed that the unemployment rate stood at 4.5% in both December and January after the December rate was revised down from 4.9%.
The jobless rate had stood at 4.2% in January last year.
