The Live Register has recorded another large monthly drop in the number of people signing on to avail of benefits. Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show the number of claimants fell by 3,500 in January, one of the largest monthly declines recorded in the past year, to stand at 278,600, the lowest level in eight years. The Live Register is not a measure of unemployment, as claimants can work part time.
Separate CSO figures put the State’s headline rate of unemployment at a post-crash low of 7.1 per cent.
Unadjusted figures
In unadjusted terms, the numbers on the Live Register in January stood at 276,892, which corresponded to an annual decrease of 44,621 or 13.9 per cent.
The figures show the number of men signing on fell by 30,266 (15.8 per cent) in the year to January while the number of women on the register dropped by 14,355 (11 per cent).
They also reveal the number of long-term claimants fell by 19,181, or 20.7 per cent, on an annual basis to stand at a total of 119,263.
The CSO noted the number of people on various job-activation programmes stood at 71,828 as of December, a decrease of 9,481 (11.7 per cent) from the previous year. People on activation programmes are included in the overall Live Register numbers.
