The number of people on the seasonally adjusted Live Register decreased by 2,500 from 160,000 in June to 157,600 in July, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
This compares to an increase of 1,500 the previous month. The CSO says that the unemployment rate in July was 4.4%, down slightly from the 4.5% recorded in June.
All of the eight regions recorded increases in the Live Register in June, with the largest percentage unadjusted increase in the midwest of the country at 4.7%, while the lowest was in the southwest region at 2.3%.
Countywise, the largest increase was in Leitrim at 7.2% and the smallest rise in the Live Register figures was in Meath (1.1%).
