Live Register figures drop by 2,800 last month

ISME, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association says there is still more to do, to reduce the number of long-term unemployed.

That is despite today's Live Register figures showing another drop in the number of people signing on.

The CSO says numbers on the register dropped by 2,800 last month, bringing the seasonally adjusted total to 276,000 - which is the lowest recorded since November 2008.

ISME CEO Neil McDonnell says that is good news, but it is not enough: "We remain concerned about the level of long-term unemployed which suggests that there is a systemic issue for a certain number of people within the country.

"It is a very high proportion of those who are on the live register, but what we are also saying and our message is very clear, is if we can tackle our business overheads and our business costs, we can further reduce unemployment in the state."