Large fall Irish in jobless rate may stall, experts warn

Unemployment may slip below 8% just ahead of the next general election, but the dramatic improvement is likely to stall because the huge numbers on Government activation programmes will likely keep the jobless rate at an elevated level, experts have warned.

The warning comes after the CSO published figures that showed Ireland was creating jobs at a faster pace than any other developed economy in the world.

The figures show employment rose in the first three months this year for the 10th successive quarter, a continuing recovery from the worst of the jobs crisis.