Joblessness below 300,000 for first time since 2010

Unemployment decreased by 9.3% in the 12 months to the end of March — statistics that are being described as “very positive” as this is the first time the figure has dropped below 300,000 since 2010.

It is also the first time our unemployment rate fell below 14% since entering the EU-IMF bailout.

Unemployment had reached 15.1% in the same period last year — the highest since the economic crisis began in 2008.