The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell by 2,200 in March, bringing the seasonally adjusted total of people on the live register to 426,100.

The number of claimants on the live register fell 8,966 in the year, a decrease of 2.1 per cent on an unadjusted basis. However the standardised unemployment rate remained at 14 per cent in March, unchanged from the revised rate in February.

Fewer men are signing on, though the number of female claimants has grown. The number of males fell by 2,500, while females rose by 300 on a seasonally adjusted basis last month. The trend has also continued over the year as the number of male claimants dropped 4 per cent to 268,996, whilst the number of female claimants rose 1.5 per cent to 156,092.

Live register figures are not a clear indication of unemployment as part-time workers, who work up to three days a week, casual and seasonal workers who are entitled to Jobseeker’s Benefit or Allowance, are also included in the figures.

Unemployment stood at 294,600, or 14.2 per cent, in the fourth quarter of 2012 according to the Quarterly National Household Survey.