Unemployment fell by some 7,000 in March as more people withdrew permanently from the jobs market rather than found jobs, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday.

In the longer term, the jobless trend is still upwards, with an average increase of 5,000 people joining the unemployment ranks a month. Women were hardest hit in the first three months of the year as jobs continued to go in the care services and trade.

There was also a 6,000 month on month drop in unemployment benefit claims but year on year, the rise is 74,000 to 454,000, the CBS said.