NI: Unemployment up for third month in a row

The number of people unemployed and claiming benefits in Northern Ireland rose for the third month in a row in June, figures released today showed.

The seasonally adjusted number claiming Jobseekers Allowance went up 200 to 35,200 – 4.4% of the workforce – though the total was down 1,700 – 4.6% – on a year ago.

The trend over the past three months is an average increase of 233 claimants per month, said Britain's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Using the British government’s preferred measure of unemployment, the jobless total stood at 41,000 – 5.3% – in the quarter to the end of May, down 0.2% on the previous quarter.

The unemployment rate in the North is lower than five other regions of the UK and 2.8% below the European Union average of 8.1%.

The latest figures showed there are now 741,000 people in employment in Northern Ireland, an increase of 29,000 on the same time last year.

Worryingly a marked drop in manufacturing output of 1.4% was recorded between the last quarter of 2002 and the first quarter of this year.

The drop compared with an increase in output of 0.1% for the UK as a whole.

Over the year, manufacturing output in Northern Ireland decreased by 1.9%, compared with a decrease of 0.7% in the UK as a whole.