The seasonally adjusted rate of unemployment as measured by the Live Register remained unchanged at 4.1 per cent in December, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said today.
The unadjusted Live Register increased by 5,285 persons to 152,406 in the three-week period between the end of November and December 21st.
In the year to December 21st, 2001, the Live Register increased by 10,820 persons.
But for administrative reasons due to the introduction of the euro over the holiday period no figure is available for the last Friday of the month, which is the usual reference date for the series.
As there are significant seasonal movements in the register in December, the figure relating to Friday December 21st cannot be adjusted using the long-run December seasonal adjustment factor, the CSO said.
However, taking into account early indications of the numbers on the register in early January it is roughly estimated that there was little change in the seasonally adjusted series, and the standardised unemployment rate, between November and December.