The number of people on the Live Register fell by 1,600 in April, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The total now stands at 439,200, while the unemployment rate fell slightly from 14.7% in March to 14.6%.
The Live Register figure had crept up in March after falling in the first two months of the year.
The CSO said a drop in the number of men signing on accounted for all of the 1,600 drop, with the number of women on the Live Register unchanged.
The headline Live Register figure for March, which does not take account of seasonal changes, was marginally lower at 439,571.
The Live Register includes some part-time and seasonal workers and does not measure unemployment.
Minister for Enteprise, Jobs and Innovation Richard Bruton has said the Live Register figures are a modest improvement but still a very poor figure.
