Young people aged 34 and under are being hardest hit by the recession, with almost 60,000 extra signing on to receive state supports in the space of just five months, unpublished government figures show.

Amid fears of a return to the days of widespread emigration by Ireland's youth, the total number of people in this age group who have sought unemployment benefits has surged by almost 46%.

Experts say these people are traditionally among those most likely to emigrate in search of work.

People in their mid-20s to early 30s registered the single largest increase in live-register numbers between October 2008 and the middle of last month, the new Department of Social and Family Affairs figures show.

The number of people in this 25-34 age group signing on to the live register increased to 112,000 during this time. This is an increase of 52% – or some 38,000 on October 2008, the most recent date for which figures were previously available.

The new figures come at a time when the total number on the live register has breached 350,000. Taoiseach Brian Cowen has warned this could rise to 450,000 by the end of the year if the current rate of job losses continue.

A recent working-abroad expo at the RDS in Dublin attracted thousands of people, many of them young and interested in moving to countries such as Australia and Canada.

The second-largest overall increase in live-register numbers occurred in the 35-44 age bracket, which recorded a rise of 22,357 in the numbers signing on between October 2008 and 20 February last. This is up 42%, and brings the total signing on in this age group to 74,971.

There was also a 40% increase – or some 17,360 – in the number of people aged 20-24 who joined the live register, bringing the total to 59,852.

The number aged under 20 rose by one third to 15,324, the figures show.

The number in the 60-64 bracket, traditionally a far smaller percentage of the total, increased by 3,108 to 15,059, an increase of 26%.

Experts say people in this age group face significant extra challenges when it comes to seeking new employment.

Piaras Mac Éinrí, director of the Irish Centre for Migration Studies at University College Cork, said people are less likely
to emigrate once they
pass their mid-30s, as they often will have put down strong familial and other roots by this stage in their lives.

"I would say culturally speaking and historically, we have been one of the most mobile [of peoples]," he said. "What's completely new about the current situation is that there aren't places to go in search of work."

The department has recently had to seek additional accommodation for 13 social welfare offices in order to cope with demand.