Minister Regina Doherty welcomes Live Register figures

Employment Affairs and Social Protection Minister, Regina Doherty, T.D. has welcomed the latest Live Register figures published by the CSO today, showing that the Live Register has fallen below 250,000 for the first time in nine years since September 2008, with the unadjusted Live Register standing at 244,319. This fall represents a year on year decrease of 14.6%.

Minister Doherty said:

"Today’s Live Register figures are clear evidence that the Government’s Strategy on Jobs is working. Since 2012 the number of jobs in the economy has risen by over 230,000 with over two million people now at work in Ireland. The wide-ranging Pathways to Work reforms implemented by my Department since the economic downturn have made a significant contribution to the recovery in employment while enabling employers to continue to grow their businesses."

Today’s figures show that there has been a particular improvement in long-term unemployment, which at the end of September 2017 stands at 105,339. That is a drop of 19.3% year on year compared to September 2016 and a decrease of 32.8% compared to September 2015.

Note for Editors

The Live Register normally falls in September compared to August each year. However, it fell less this September than in the same month last year, due to a difference in the timing of the start of the new school year. This year, more temporary education sector workers left the Live Register in August rather than September.