Big unemployment drop in past year

The number of people out of work fell by 22,000 in the year to June, as the unemployment rate has fallen slightly to 13.7%.

According to the latest Quarterly National Household survey from the Central Statistics Office, there was an increase in full-time employment of 21,600 (+1.5%) and an increase in part-time employment of 12,100 (+2.8%).

There has also been an improvement in the number of people on the dole for a year or more, with the long-term unemployment rate down from 9.2% to 8.1% over the same period.