The number of persons registering for work in July stood at 6,834 compared to 7,298 in the same month last year, the National Statistics Office said.

It said that according to data provided by the Employment and Training Corporation decreases in registered unemployment were recorded among all age-groups with the most significant being recorded among those aged 45 and over.

When compared to July last year, an increase of 190 persons was recorded among those who had been registering for employment for more than one year.

The number of people who had been registering for less than 21 weeks declined by 430. The number of disabled persons registering for work decreased by 13 to 493.

The largest share of men on the register sought occupations as crafts and related trade workers, whereas women mostly sought occupations as technicians and associate professionals.

The registered unemployed rate in March stood at 4.5 per cent of the labour supply, excluding part-time employment and varied from 5.3 per cent among men to 3.1 per cent among women.