New lockdowns could send unemployment to 1990s levels, warns Stormont minister

Economy minister, Diane Dodds. Picture: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA

Unemployment rates could soar to levels not seen in 30 years if further lockdowns are not accompanied by adequate financial support, a Stormont minister has warned.

Economy minister Diane Dodds said people in Northern Ireland faced the prospect of jobless numbers returning to levels not seen since the early 1990s, when the unemployment rate was over 12%.