The number of people on the live register fell by 2,100 in February, data from the Central Statistics Office shows.
The seasonally adjusted live register total for February was 174,600 people, which was a 1.2 per cent decrease from January.
While the live register broadly tracks the labour market, it is not a measure of unemployment as people with part-time or casual work can still be entitled to benefits.
The unadjusted live register total stood at 173,982 people for February. Of those, 55 per cent were male and 68.5 per cent were Irish.
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The 35-44 age group made up the largest number of those on the register at 41,086 people or 23.6 per cent of the total.
Four counties saw an increase in the number of people in the 12 months, with the largest in Meath (7.8 per cent) and Leitrim (2.5 per cent).
There were 111,704 people on the register for less than one year, which was 10,742 fewer people over the 12 months since February 2023.
CSO statistician Conor Delves said the figures included 21,994 people who benefitted from the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, which represented a decrease of 350 people from January.
The number of people on the register for one year or more in February was 62,278, which was an increase of 2.6 per cent on a year earlier. There were 111,704 people on the register for less than one year, which represents just under two-thirds of the total number.
Last month the CSO data showed the number of people on the live register had increased by 1,400 in January, equating to about 0.8 per cent up on December and bringing the total number of people to 176,700.
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