The number of people signing on to the Live Register fell by just under 1 per cent last month, according to figures released this morning from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
February saw a decline in the numbers signing on of 1,402 or -0.8 per cent, compared to a corresponding increase of 693 or 0.4 per cent last year.
When seasonal factors are taken into account the adjusted total fell from 171,000 in January to 170,100 this month, a decrease of 900.
In the year to February 2004 there was an increase of 1,733, which compares to an annual increase of 3,828 recorded in the year to January 2004. The annual increase recorded to February 2003 was 9,057.
According to the figures, the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 4.7 per cent of the labour force.