A new report from the ESRI says most unemployed people would be better off financially if they had a job.

The research from the Economic and Social Research Institute shows eight out of ten jobseekers would earn at least 40 percent more if they got a job, while six in ten would see their income double.

The study also finds that the number of families whose income on benefits would exceed that of paid employment is very small.

Professor Tim Callan says the possible loss of a medical card is not an obstacle to taking up employment for the long-term unemployed: