Updated 2.32pm with improved data*.

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SLIGO CURRENTLY HAS the highest rate of people taking part in the controversial JobBridge internship scheme.

144  people, or 0.35 per cent of the population aged between 18 to 65, are currently taking part.

Dublin has the highest actual number of people taking part, with 2033 participants (0.24 per cent of the population).

There are currently 6,586 jobseekers on JobBridge schemes across the country.

There has been a total of 26,650 placements since the scheme began in 2011 – enough for 0.91 per cent of the eligible population.

In response to a question put to the Minister for Social Protection by Fine Gael TD Heather Humphreys, the figures show the counties with the highest number of placements per head of population were:

• Waterford – 1.24 per cent/880 placements since 2011
• Sligo – 1.22 per cent/507 placements since 2011
• Monaghan – 1.21 per cent/453 placements since 2011
• Westmeath – 1.16 per cent/627 placements since 2011
• Limerick – 1.11 per cent/1375 placements since 2011
• Galway – 1.05 per cent/1704 placements since 2011
• Dublin – 1.05 per cent/8973 since 2011

A jobseeker could have taken part in more than one placement.

“Independent research indicates that over 60 per cent of interns progress into paid employment within five months of completing their internship,” Minister Joan Burton said.

“These progression outcomes are exceptionally positive and compare very favourably with European averages in this area.”

Many rural counties have been adversely  badly affected by unemployment.

Figures from the CSO show that 124,219 people on the Live Register in Border, Midland, and Western region in February of this year, and 273,850 Southern and Eastern region.

Population figures are based the population of each county aged 18-65 from Census 2011.

*Article previously stated that Carlow had the highest rate of people currently on JobBridge interships. Updated data shows that it is ranked 12th, with 86 people on internships making up 0.25 per cent of the population. Click here to see raw data here (.csv format).

Read: Less than €2 extra per week for unemployed parents on Gateway scheme >

More: Just 69 people have taken up Gateway places >

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