The unemployment rate in Northern Ireland rose to 7.2 per cent during the third quarter, according to new figures released this morning.
However, the data shows that during the month of October the number of people claiming unemployment was unchanged, the first month that the rate has not increased since February 2008.
The Northern Ireland seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, as measured by the Labour Force Survey (LFS), increased 0.4 per cent from the second quarter of 2009 and was up 3 per cent year-on-year, the largest annual increase since the LFS series began in 1995 and he second highest increase among the UK regions.
Despite this the Northern Ireland unemployment rate remained below the UK average of 7.8 per cent and was the joint fourth lowest rate among the UK regions. It was also lower than the European Union’s rate of 9.1 per cent and the Republic of Ireland 12.5 per cent rates for August..
The seasonally adjusted number of people claiming unemployment related benefits in the North stood at 53,700 at the end of last month, equivalent to 6.2 per cent of the adult population.
Over the year, the Northern Ireland claimant count has increased by 70.5 per cent, compared to a UK increase of 62.8 per cent.
“It is clear that the local labour market has been particularly hit by the recession, and trading conditions for many of our companies remain difficult. However, any pause in the rate of increase in unemployed claimants is to be welcomed,” said enterprise minister Arlene Foster.
The number of Britons claiming jobless benefit in October rose by its smallest amount in 18 months, while the number of people in work rose for the first time in over a year, according to new data.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said claimant count unemployment rose by 12,900 last month, well below forecasts for an increase of 20,000.
The number of people without a job on the wider ILO measure rose by 30,000 in the three months to September to 2.461 million, the smallest rise since March-May 2008.
That left the jobless rate steady at 7.8 per cent, from the previous three-month period, confounding expectations for a rise to 8.0 per cent.
The number of people in work actually rose by 6,000 in the three months to September, the first increase since May-July 2008.
Additional reporting: Reuters
