Irish unemployment rate steady at 4.2%

March 5, 2005

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the unemployment rate in the Republic of Ireland was steady at 4.2% for February. The total number on the live register was 155,900 a fall of 1,300 from January.

All counties bar Waterford, Cavan, Kildare and Longford experienced a fall in unemployment, with Tipperary North having the largest individual drop with a fall of 6% in the unemployment rate.

A similier report by Eurostat - the Statistical Office of the European Union - for the month of January put Irish unemploment at 4.3%, confirming beliefs that Ireland now has the lowest rate of unemployment in Europe. Ireland is followed closely by Luxembourg with a rate of 4.4% and Austria at 4.5%. The EU average is 8.8% with Poland having the highest rate at 18.2%.