Unemployment continues to fall

According to the Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the borough in June stood at 1,824.

Of these claimants, 1,292 were male and 532 were female.

The figure represents a drop of more than three per cent on the previous month, and is over 16 per cent lower than the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland as a whole has continued to fall but economic output has also dipped, the figures indicated.

The rate fell by one per cent to 6.7 per cent over the three month period from March to May.

In June, the number of claimants in Northern Ireland in receipt of unemployment related benefits decreased by 900, taking the overall fall in claimants to 8,800 over 12 months.

Welcoming the figures, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “These positive signals of growth in the labour market are a reflection of continued investment and job creation, much of which has been secured with support from Invest NI.

“This trend is continuing, with over 1,000 new jobs announced since the beginning of July alone.

“The annual growth in economic output is encouraging and it is important that we continue to build on recent progress by support in research and development, expanding existing markets and promoting inward investment.”