THERE WERE OVER 30,000 less people on the Live Register last month than the same time last year.
The number of people on the Live Register in March 2014 stood at 391,232, some 33,856 fewer than in March 2013 and 42,822 fewer than in March 2012.
The figures released today by the Central Statistics Office shows the standardised unemployment rate has now fallen to 11.8% from a peak of 15.1%.
The decrease of 1,800 people on the Live Register from last month is made up mostly of men, with over 1,400 less signing on in March.
The number of long-term claimants declined by 1,100, while the number of people classed as casual ad part-time workers also declined. There are now 79,811 people classed as casual or part-time, 20.4% of the Live Register.
The figures don’t take into account the 85,119 people availing of workplace activation programmes such as JobBridge.
Those aged 25 and over on the Live Register fell by 7.3%, while the number of people aged under 25 declined by 11.5%. It has been suggested that this age group is skewed by emigration.
Social Protection Minister Joan Burton was pleased with the figures, however.
“Today’s CSO figures, showing the Live Register at its lowest level since April of 2009, demonstrate that the Pathways to Work approach is paying off.”
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