An international law firm whose clients include the producers of two Oscar 2015 nominated movies are among eight Derry-based companies who collectively plan to invest £2.8 million in the city and create 65 jobs.
SmithDehn, whose star sprinkled client list includes HBO, Ali G and Graham Norton, established a new European office in the city last year and plans to hire more new graduates from the specialist law course it co-runs with the University of Ulster at its Magee campus.
Also on the recruitment drive is Hunter Apparel, the specialist uniform manufacturer which supplies corporate and security clothing to organisations across the globe including an Garda Siochana and An Post.
Details of the latest investment boost for the city by local companies was announced by the North's trade and investment minister Arlene Foster at a business event in Derry.
The minister said the other six companies with investment intentions included; All Pipe Engineering, Fleming Agri-Products, Modern Democracy, Quinnspares, Steam and Generation Services.
But the prospect of 65 new jobs for the city is unlikely to make a dent in the jobless queues in Derry.
Latest labour market statistics released today show that Derry had the highest number of people claiming jobless related benefits compared to anywhere else in the North as 2014 drew to a close.
Overall the latest figures show that in the three months to November 2014 the jobless rate fell to 5.8 per cent in Northern Ireland but Derry remained an unemployment blackspot.
Between September and November the total number of people out of work locally was estimated to be 50,000.
Other new figures released today for December show that the total claimant count in the North also fell by 900 to 50,200.
Arlene Foster said it is encouraging that both the jobless rate and the numbers of people claiming benefits have fallen.
The minister said: "The number of claimants has fallen in each of the last 24 months, which is the most sustained decrease since the series began. The Northern Ireland unemployment rate (5.8 per cent) is the same as that for the UK (5.8 per cent) and it continues to compare very favourably to the October 2014 rates for the European Union (10 per cent) and the Republic of Ireland (10.9 per cent)."
