Unemployment rate set to fall

THERE HAS been a slight fall in the unemployment rate, figures published this morning are expected to show.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said yesterday she expected a “slight improvement in the unemployment situation”.

Ms Burton said she believed the economy was“bottoming out”. She said there was a long way to go, but “I expect to see a slight improvement in the unemployment situation when the live register figures are published tomorrow”.

In August, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits was 450,000 compared with 448,000 in July.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has remained static at about 14 per cent since September last year. The rate in August was 14.4 per cent and in July was 14.3 per cent.