Ireland's unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3% in the third quarter of 2000 from the previous quarter, according to the Quarterly National Household Survey released today.
The latest results indicate a slowdown in the rate at which employment is growing. The figures show that the number of people getting jobs in the last year to August 2000 grew by 40,000 less than the previous year.
Unemployment fell by 23,300 in the year, according to the survey released by the Central Statistics Office. This brings the unemployment rate to a record low of 4.3%, or 77,700 people, down from 5.7% in the corresponding period last year. Ireland had a total labour force of 1,815,600 in the year to August, up 45,400 on the year and representing 61.1% of the population aged 15 and over.
There were 1,737,900 people in employment at the end of August, up 68,700 on the corresponding period in 1999. The annual increase comprised a rise of 42,600 for men and 36,900 for women.
The number of long term unemployed has dropped to 25,700, while 51,900 were unemployed for less than one year.
Employment grew in all sectors except agriculture, forestry and fishing. In the construction sector, there was an increase of 24,500 jobs, the largest for any single industry. On a regional basis, the largest annual increase of 23,400 jobs was in Dublin.
The Household Survey figures are considered a more accurate measure of unemployment than the Live Register.
