Unemployment is falling faster than the Government's own predictions and is now at its lowest level since 2008, with the coalition now hoping the figure could drop below nine per cent before the next general election.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office also show the number of people in work has also reached a six year high.

In the year to the end of December the number out of work dropped by nearly 16 per cent.

For the first time since the crash the unadjusted unemployment rate is now in single figures - at 9.9 per cent - its lowest level since 2008.

The coalition had hoped to have unemployment at this level before the next election - Finance Minister Michael Noonan says at this rate it could be below 9 per cent.

“When we started creating jobs initially they were part time jobs, practically all the jobs that were signalled by the quarterly survey this morning were full time jobs so it’s a very strong growth story and we’re not flying on one wing like we were in the days of the infamous Celtic Tiger,” he added.

95,000 jobs have been created since the end of 2012 putting the numbers in work at their highest level since 2009.

Tánaiste and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton says the adjusted unemployment rate is going in the right direction.

“What we see for instance in the live register is the fall is now touching 10 per cent and we will reach the 10 per cent and go into single digit figures before long,” Ms Burton said.

The numbers out of work have now fallen for 10 successive quarters and if this rate continues then it looks like the coalition can achieve its target of full employment in the economy by 2018.