The unemployment rate has continued to fall, according to the Central Statistics Office. Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said official figures – down to 13.6% – showed progress had been made tackling unemployment, but more needs to be done. It is the 12th month in a row the live register record of numbers of people signing on the dole has fallen. “We have seen a fall in the percentage of unemployed from 15% down to 13.6% now. That’s progress but it’s not enough progress,” Mr Bruton said. “We need to do more in this space and that’s why, for example, between the various departments we have put €2.5bn of new funding available to small and medium enterprises.” The CSO report showed that long-term unemployment remains a serious issue with 197,508 people signing on for a year or more – almost half the the total.
