The State’s unemployment rate, as measured by the Live Register, has fallen to 11.1 per cent as conditions in the labour market continue to improve.

The latest set of numbers from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed the number of claimants on the register dropped by 4700 in September, reducing the seasonally adjusted total to 374,800, the lowest since March 2009.

Over the year to September, 38,620 claimants left the Live Register, a 9.5 per cent decline.

In unadjusted terms there were 370,050 people signing on the Live Register in September.

Long-term unemployment remains a significant problem however, with 178,388 people, or 48.2 per cent of all claimants in September, signing on for 12 months or more.

While the number of male long term claimants decreased by 12,031 in the year to September, the number of female claimants increased by 1,538.

The total number of casual and part-time workers on the register is down 12.8 per cent or 10,551 in the year to September.

Following the slightly disappointing jobs growth numbers in the first half of the year, Davy Stockbrokers said today’s data points to an acceleration in employment growth again in the third quarter.

“Nonetheless, the numbers of long-term unemployed has remained stickier than short-term flows,” Davy analyst David McNamara said.