Live Register figures ease in December

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the numbers signing on to the Live Register fell by 1,400 in December.

This brings the seasonally adjusted total to 430,900 - the lowest total in around three years.

In unadjusted terms, the CSO said there were 423,733 people signing on in December, an annual decrease of 11,051 (2.5%).

The CSO said while the trend in the figures continue to one of movement within a small rate, annual decreases were recorded every month during 2012.

Today's figures also reveal that the standardised unemployment rate in December was 14.6%, unchanged from the November level.

The number of long-term claimants on the Live Register in December stood at 187,144, up 3.5% on the year.

Breaking down the figures, they show that the number of long-term unemployed men rose by 0.8%, while the number of long-term unemployed women jumped by 10.6%.

The CSO also noted that the number of people aged 25 and over on the Live Register last month fell by 1%, while the number of people younger than 25 fell by 10%.

The percentage of people aged under 25 on the Live Register stood at 15.8% in December 2012, down from 17.1% the same time last year and 18.6% in December 2010.

Emigration and education a factor in Live Register fall

Commenting on today's jobless figures, Merrion economist Alan McQuaid said that having peaked at 15% in February, the unemployment rate has since then started to decline gradually. ''Increased emigration and people staying on longer in education are clearly factors that have contributed to the fall,'' he added.

''We think it will be a number of years before the jobless rate falls back into single digits. The average unemployment rate in 2012 was 14.8%, up from 14.6% in 2011 and 13.8% in 2010, though this is forecast to be the worst of it. We are looking for some improvement in 2013 with the average jobless rate projected to fall back to 14.3%,'' the economist added.

Meanwhile, the Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association has demanded the immediate introduction of the Government's 'much announced' Plus One jobs Initiative. ISME's chief executive Mark Fielding said that the focus for 2013 must be on addressing the long-term unemployed through a stimulus package aimed at assisting SMEs to retain and create jobs.

Fianna Fáil has accused the Government of inaction on unemployment, following the publication of the figures.

The party's jobs spokesman, Dara Calleary, said the figures show that the unemployment situation is not improving.

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Live Register figures ease in December

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