Live register falls by over 700

Unemployment in Westmeath fell by almost seven per cent in the month from August to September, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal.At the end of August, there were 10,996 people out of work in Westmeath, and at the end of September, that figure was just 10,263 - a decrease of 733, or 6.6 per cent.Athlone’s unemployment reduction was greater than the fall in Mullingar. At the end of September, there were 3,933 people out of work in Athlone, compared to the 4,334 out of work a month earlier - a drop of 9 per cent. In Mullingar, there were 5,329 out of work at the end of August, and the figure for the end of September was 5,065, a 5 per cent reduction..In Castlepollard, there were 1,333 out of work at the end of August, and a fall to 1,265 at the end of September, again a fall of 5 per cent.At the end of July, it did look as if the Westmeath figures were about to hit the 11,000 mark, but this month’s fall keeps that nightmare figure some distance away.