Irish unemployment rate stalls at 7.8 percent after months of decline

DUBLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's unemployment rate remained at 7.8 percent in July for the third month in a row after declining for seven consecutive months, central statistics office data showed on Wednesday.

Between October and May the unemployment rate fell steadily from 9.1 percent to 7.8 percent as the country posted the fastest economic growth in the European Union.

The jobless rate hit a peak of 15.1 percent in early 2012, when Ireland was midway through a three-year international bailout. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Hugh Lawson)