7.9% Unemployment Rate 'Significant Milestone' - O'Connor

A fall in the unemployment rate to 7.9% has been described as a "significant milestone" by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O'Connor.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the unemployment rate fell to 7.9% for April and all regions of the country saw a fall in unemployment in the past year.

The figures also show that there is strong and continued employment growth with 47,600 extra people back in work in the past year.

Employment has grown in 12 out of 14 economic sectors, with the largest increases recorded in accommodation and food service activities as well as construction.

Welcoming the figures, Minister O'Connor said: "I am delighted and encouraged to see today's figures from the Central Statistics Office which shows that the unemployment rate has fallen to 7.9%. It is also very positive to see that the rate of unemployment fell across all regions of the country.

"Ensuring that this positive trend continues is one of my key priorities in my new portfolio. The challenge is to ensure that we continue to sustain this progress that every county is affected by job creation.

"While these figures show that the rate is going in the right direction, we must not become complacent; we must continue to work towards building a sustainable economy.

"I want to ensure that we give the right supports to small business so that we encourage and enable more people to start their own business and create jobs right across the country. This will ensure that all regions benefit from the knock on societal effects of job growth."

(MH/LM)