14/01/2004

Rise in NI unemployment figures

The number of people unemployed in Northern Ireland is on the increase according to the latest figures.

Labour force statistics released on Wednesday revealed that some 46,000 people are unemployed, a rise of 3,000 on the this time last year.

In addition, more recent pressures on the labour market are reflected in the rise in the unemployment rate to 6.1% compared with 5.6% for both the previous quarter and the same time last year.

Seasonally adjusted figures for the period September – November 2003 also show there are approximately 720,000 people in employment, a decrease of 7,000 over the year.

Claimant count figures for the most recent month (December 2003) show a fall of 300 over the month, with 4.2% of the workforce now claiming Job Seekers Allowance or National Insurance Credits.

Turning to industry production figures, results for the third quarter of 2003 show that output levels rose by 1.0% compared to the same quarter one year earlier and increased by 1.4% compared to the previous quarter.

Northern Ireland's increased production over the year (1.0%) is in contrast to that of the UK as a whole which fell by 0.6% compared to the same quarter one year earlier. The UK also reported a small fall of 0.2% over the quarter.

(MB)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

28 August 2013
First-Time Buyer Loans Increase By 36%
The number of loans to first-time buyers in Northern Ireland increased by 36% in the second quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year, data released today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show. This uptake resulted in the largest number of loans advanced to first-time buyers in a single quarter since the end of 2009.
17 April 2013
Construction Output Drops In Q4
Construction output from October to December last year was down 5.8% on the same period in 2011, according to the latest Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin.
27 February 2012
NI Sees Increase In House Purchase Loans
Northern Ireland was the only area of the UK to experience an increase in house purchase loans in the final quarter of 2011, according to new figures released today from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) in Northern Ireland. The 2,500 house purchase loans, worth £240 million, increased 4% by number and value from the third quarter of the year.
25 March 2010
Summit Tackles Belfast Infrastructure
A two-day conference launched by NI Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie is this week bringing together local and international business, community and political leaders.
18 August 2010
Surveyors Expect Cuts 'To Hit Hard'
Activity in the local construction market fell further in the second quarter of the year, according to chartered surveyors.