Number on live register falls for eighth month in a row

The number of people claiming the dole has fallen for the eighth month in a row and is at its lowest level since September, 2009.

However, economists have blamed rising emigration totals and people spending longer in education for the decrease in the live register total. That has meant that the country’s unemployment rate has actually not fallen since the end of last year and remains at 14.1%.

According to the latest Central Statistics Office figures, the live register for February was 428,876. That compared with 439,422 in February 2012 and 429,396 last month.