Dublin - The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Ireland jumped to a 10-year high of 6.1 per cent in August from 4.5 per cent in the same month last year, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reported Wednesday.

There were 235,100 people claiming unemployment benefits in August, up 73,200 over the 12-month period to the end of the month, the highest jump ever recorded, the CSO told national broadcaster RTE.

Unemployment in Ireland has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the year when the economy started to take a downturn.

Two-thirds of the new claimants were men, and one-quarter were under 25, CSO reported. (dpa)