THE NUMBER of people claiming jobless benefits in the North soared last month by a further 3,000 to 42,000, latest government figures have shown.

There has been a sharp fall in the number of people employed in Northern Ireland, which reflects the impact of the economic slowdown, particularly in rural areas.

Three towns in mid-Ulster – Magherafelt, Dungannon and Cookstown – have experienced some of the biggest increases in unemployment in the last 12 months, compared to the rest of the UK. In Magherafelt, there has been a 232.2 per cent increase in the number of people claiming benefits.

The total number of people out of work in the North is now estimated by economic agencies to be in the region of 46,000.

The rise in unemployment reflects a UK-wide trend.

The latest unemployment statistics show the number of people out of work in the UK rose to 2.03 million in the three months to January of this year.

This is the first time UK jobless figures have soared above the two million mark in 12 years.

The February increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the North was one of the highest recorded in the last 12 months.

According to government statistics from November to January the number of economically inactive people in the North increased to an estimated 565,000.

Labour market research shows the official unemployment rate for the period November to January 2009 rose to an estimated 5.7 per cent. The rate is below the UK average of 6.5 per cent and is also lower than the European Union average of 7.4 per cent.

In the three months leading up to January there were 23,000 fewer people in employment in the North than in the previous quarter. The decline in the number of people in work combined with the corresponding rise in the number of people claiming jobless benefits is a worrying trend, but not unsurprising, given the global downturn, according to Economy Minister Arlene Foster.