The number of people signing on the Live Register fell by 0.8 per cent last month and was down 10 per cent on an annual basis, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.

The data show there were 2,700 less people on the register in February, bringing the total number signing on in the month to 321,000. In adjusted terms there were 319,723 people on the register, an annual decrease of 35,401 or 10 per cent.

According to the figures, the number of male claimants was down by 1,800 or 0.9 per cent on a monthly basis and by 25,637 or 11.9 per cent to 190,248 in the year to February. The number of female claimants fell by 800 or 0.6 per ent in the month and by 9,764 or 7 per cent on an annual basis to 129,475.

The number of long-terms claimants declined again last month, falling by 19,298 or 11 per cent to 143,478. The number of male long-term claimants was down 14.4 per cent in the year to 15,373 while the number of female claimants was down 7 per cent to 3,925.

Figures show the number of people aged under 25 also fell again, down 8,740 or 18 per cent over the year to the end of February. Annual decreases in the number of young people signing on have occurred in all months since July 2010.

The statistics show there were 65,980 casual and part-time workers on the register last month, equivalent to 20.6 per cent of the total Live Register. This compares with 20.3 per cent a year earlier. The number of casual and part-time workers was down 6,175 or 8.6 per cent on an annual basis.

Craft-related trades remained the largest occupation on the register, despite the fact that the number in the group fell over the year by 9,364 or 13.2 per cent to 61,540.

Lastly, the data show there were 25,889 new registrants who signed in February. On average 3,456 male and 3,016 female new registrants joined the Register each week of the month.

The Live Register includes part-time, seasonal and casual workers who are entitled to jobseekers benefit or allowance.

CSO began publishing a new series of monthly unemployment estimates in June 2015. The latest figures, published earlier this week, put the State’s jobless rate at 8.8 per cent for January.