BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

The number of people signing on the Live Register in Galway City continues to drop, with a 5.1% reduction recorded over the past year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The figures show there were 679 fewer people on the dole in August, when compared to the same month in 2011. However, the month-on-month increase was 187 (1.5%).

July saw a year-on-year drop of 6.2% in unemployment in the city, while June was also down 5.6%.

A break-down of the figures shows that the majority of the 12,634 people receiving unemployment benefits in the city are males (7,656), while a further 4,978 are females.

Of those in receipt of unemployment benefits, 10,558 are over the age of 25, and 2,076 are under 25.

The drop in Live Register numbers is higher in the city than the national average drop, which was recorded at 2.1%.

Figures for the county show drops everywhere except Gort, where there was a year-on-year rise of 1.2% from 1,513 to 1,536.

The biggest reduction in numbers was recorded in Loughrea (8.7%) from 2,646 to 2,417 over 12 months; Tuam is down 5.9% from 3,647 to 3,433; Clifden is down 4.9% from 1,255 to 1,194 and Ballinasloe is down 4.4% from 2,737 to 2,617.

In Galway City and County as a whole, there are now 23,831 on the Live Register, down from 25,111 (5.1%) twelve months ago.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel