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Social Protection, Joan Burton Minister has today urged employers to play their part to build on the success to date in getting people back to work, as new figures show unemployment has fallen for the 20th month in a row.

The CSO figures show that there were 30,807 fewer people on the Live Register last month than in February 2013, and 41,353 fewer than in February 2012.

The standardised unemployment rate has now fallen to 11.9% from a crisis peak of 15.1%.

Minister Burton said:

Taken together with last week’s separate employment data, which showed that the number of people in jobs increased by 61,000 last year, these are very encouraging figures.

The Pathways to Work strategy, designed to help people on the Live Register return to work, is playing a central part in this progress. Through Pathways, we have introduced a series of key reforms, such as replacing the dole offices of old with new Intreo centres - one-stop shops where jobseekers get their income and employment supports in the one place for the first time.

But an 11.9% unemployment rate is still far too high, and that is why, this year and beyond, my absolute priority will be to ensure that the Live Register falls substantially further, with full employment the central target.

Employers will be key to this. We want employers in Ireland to follow the example of their counterparts in countries like Germany and Austria and be willing to give not alone young jobseekers but also long-term unemployed people the necessary work, training and apprenticeship opportunities.