Just eight counties record fall in unemployment

ONE IN THREE counties have seen a marginal drop in their Live Register figures over the past 12 months — despite the total number of people on the dole continuing to rise by 3,460 since July 2010.

Figures from the Central Statistics Office, published in full by the Irish Examiner today, show that over the past year eight of the 26 counties covered by the independent state body recorded a fall in unemployment rates.

These areas are Cork (down 460 people), Waterford (down 450), Limerick (down 751), Clare (down 86), Galway (down 183), Longford (down 70), Leitrim (down 61) and Cavan (down 116).