The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has welcomed the latest drop in the jobless rate, but warned that unemployment in Ireland remains unacceptably high when judged against average rates across the European Union.
Congress General Secretary David Begg said:"Obviously any fall in numbers is good news for people who get back to work, their families and wider society.
"But we need to grasp the fact that the numbers out of work in Ireland remain unacceptably and unsustainably high.
"Even on these new figures, our current jobless rate is 11.6%, while a far lower rate of 7.8% is what obtains in the EU 15 - minus Greece, Portugal and Spain. That's a difference of almost 5O% and Congress highlighted this serious disparity recently in our Labour Market Monitor as a clear signal of how fair we still have to travel," Mr Begg concluded.
