The Live Register fell by 300 people in April, bringing the total number signing on for benefits to 174,200 on a seasonally-adjusted basis.
The decline comes as the unemployment rate increased last month, recording the biggest single jump in more than two years and reaching 4.4 per cent.
The Live Register broadly tracks the labour market but includes people working part-time or undertaking casual work who can still be entitled to benefits.
Of the 169,497 people who signed on to the unadjusted Live Register last month, almost 55 per cent were male, and a total of 20,264 people benefiting from the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive were included, down almost 1,000 from the previous month.
Some 18,394 people under the age of 25 signed on to the Live Register in April, accounting for almost 11 per cent of claimants. Those between the ages of 25 and 54 made up two-thirds of the Live Register.
The largest percentage increases in the 12 months to April 2024 were recorded in Meath, where the numbers rose 5.5 per cent, and Kildare at 0.5 per cent.
The biggest decline was seen in Kilkenny, where the number of people on the register fell 15.1 per cent. That was followed by Kerry, with a 12.4 per cent decline, and Clare at 11.2 per cent.
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“The number of people on the Live Register for one year or more in April 2024 was 61,090, which was 1,156 fewer people (down 1.9%) than a year earlier,” said Conor Delves, a statistician in the labour market analysis section. “There were 108,407 people on the Live Register for less than one year, which represents just under two-thirds of the total number on the Live Register.”
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