The rate of unemployment has fallen again for September.

According to the Central Statistics Office, the number of people signing on the live register fell by 1,800 in last month.

That current rate of unemployment now stands at 13.3% - down from 13.4% in August.

The CSO figures show that a total of 414,300 people are on the live register, down 20,900 on September last year.

The Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has welcomed the news:

Those figures first emerged yesterday, when cabinet members were briefed on the latest information.