There were 79 unemployment black spots across Ireland last April, according to new Census figures.
Longford Town had the highest unemployment rate last year at almost 20 per cent, while eight of the top 10 so-called black spots were in Limerick.
The latest findings show more than 2 million people were in the workforce last year.
Senior Statistician at the CSO, Deirdre Cullen, says the majority of newly-employed people are in the services sector: