Standardised unemployment rate down to 10%
The standardised unemployment rate was 10% in March, down from 10.1% the previous month, according to latest figures from the CSO.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from the most recent Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) was 10.4% in the fourth quarter of 2014.
On a seasonally adjusted basis the Live Register total recorded a monthly decrease of 4,700 (-1.3%) in March 2015, reducing the seasonally adjusted total to 350,600.
In unadjusted terms, there were 348,676 people signing on the Live Register in March 2015, an annual decrease of 42,556 (-10.9%)
On a seasonally adjusted basis the Live Register showed a monthly decrease of 2,900 (-1.4%) males in March 2015, while females decreased by 1,900 (-1.3%) over the same period.
The number of male claimants decreased by 31,154 (-12.8%) to 212,035 in the year to March 2015, while female claimants decreased by 11,402 (-7.7%) to 136,641.
When the previous jobs of claimants are analysed, it shows tradesmen and women are the most most likely to be signing on.
A fifth of the live register is made up of people with a trade or craft skill. The next largest group is plant and machine operatives.
Managers and professionals are the least likely to be on the dole, the figures showed.
Jobs minister Richard Bruton claimed a drop in the unemployment rate to 10%, its lowest since the economic crisis, was a welcome step on a road to full employment.
“However there are still far too many people unemployed, far too many families who have still not felt the benefit of the fragile recovery which is under way,” he added.
“Our goal is sustainable full employment – a job for everyone in the country not just in 2018, but for years and decades to come.
“Twice in my lifetime I have seen full employment achieved, only to be squandered through poorly planned, boom-bust policies.”
