2,000 fewer people signing on in August
The number of people signing on the Live Register fell by 2,000 in the last month, official figures have revealed.
According to seasonally adjusted figures from the Central Statistics Office, 434,400 people were signing on in August.
Of these, 201,513 have been on the register for more than a year.
The number of male long-term claimants increased by 3,834 (+2.8%) in the year to August 2012, while the comparable increase for females was 6,101 (+11.4%) giving an overall annual increase of 9,935 (+5.2%).
The standardised unemployment rate in August 2012 was 14.7%, unchanged from the latest July 2012 rate.
There were 87,154 casual and part-time workers on the Live Register in August, or 19.1% of the total Live Register.
This compares with 18.2% one year earlier when there were 85,296 casual and part-time workers on the Live Register.
