The number of people signing on in October hit its lowest level since November 2008.

According to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CS), the number on the Live Register dropped 3,100 to 288,000.

The number in unadjusted terms for October was 277,219, down 13.6% on the same month last year. This represents an annual decrease of 43,575.

The number of male claimants fell by 28,126 (-14.8%) to 161,541 in the year to October 2016, while female claimants decreased by 15,449 (-11.8%) to 115,678.

This compares with a decrease of 28,105 (-12.9%) to 189,667 for males, while female claimants decreased by 9,731 (-6.9%) to 131,127 in the year to October 2015.

The number of long term claimants also fell by 16.4% on an annual basis, to stand at a total of 125,063. 

In the year to October, the number of people aged under 25 decreased by 8,853 (-21.5%).  Annual decreases in persons aged under 25 have occurred in all months since July 2010. The percentage of persons aged under 25 on the Live Register now stands at 11.6%, down from 12.8% in October 2015.