The jobless rate compares to 10.1 percent in January 2017.

The INE revised its original estimate for December 2017 from 7.8 percent and said the rate was the lowest since July 2004. Last year, the average unemployment rate hit a nine-year low of 8.9 percent amid the fastest economic growth in 10 years.

The youth unemployment rate of those aged 15 to 24 fell to 22.2 percent in January from 22.8 percent in December and from 25.4 percent a year earlier.

The total number of unemployed fell to 410,600 people last month from 412,300 in December, while the total workforce stood at over 5.18 million, practically unchanged from the previous month.