Jobless rate falls to 3.7 percent

By Andrew Bushe

DUBLIN – Unemployment dropped to 3.7 percent in October, according to the Central Statistics Office. It is the lowest jobless rate since it began keeping records in the 1970s.

With unemployment down from 10 percent just three years ago, the figures for people signing on for the dole are down to levels last seen in the early ’80s

The number signing on for benefits on the State’s live register during October fell to 139,189, the lowest figure since November 1981.

The number of people under 25 signing on was 22,696, the lowest figure for that age group since June 1980.

As record numbers of jobs are created in economy, 38,756 people have stopped seeking benefits since October 1999 when the unemployment rate was 5 percent.