Jobless rate shows slight dip as 10,000 fewer sign on

Ireland's unemployment rate has decreased to 14.6%, according to new live register figures from the CSO.

The seasonally adjusted figures show a slight dip of 0.3%, or more than 10,000 people, when compared with the same period last year.

However, there was a slight increase in month-on-month figures, after the jobs boost of the busy pre-Christmas period in December.

The numbers are a return to December 2011 unemployment numbers.