A total of 2,204 people lost their jobs last month, according to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Claire Shoesmith reports.

This is 5.5 per cent more than the same month last year and the highest monthly figure since January.

Total redundancies to date this year stand at 19,533, 119 more than the cumulative total for the first 10 months of 2005.

While the number of redundancies in October was ahead of the year-earlier month after declines in the previous six months, the pace of redundancies still remained slower than in the first quarter, when substantial increases were recorded.

On a monthly basis, the services sector was again the worst hit, with a total of 949 jobs being lost in distribution, transport, communications and general services.

This was closely followed by manufacturing, which saw the loss of 671 general positions, 116 metal and engineering specialists and 61 chemical products operatives.

These figures, issued on a monthly basis by the Department, represent actual redundancies during October, but during the month several companies, including Roches Stores and Cadbury, announced intentions to shed staff .