Jobs growth continues in Northern Ireland

Figures released today have revealed Northern Ireland has the highest number of jobs on record, while the unemployment rate remains below the UK average.

Seasonally adjusted figures from the Quarterly Employment Survey estimated there were 711,830 employee jobs filled in March 2007, representing a net increase over the quarter, which was driven by rises in service sector jobs and construction jobs, while manufacturing jobs fell slightly.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Northern Ireland was 4.3% for the period February – April 2007. This estimate is unchanged over the quarter, but has fallen from the rate of 4.9% recorded for the same period one year ago. The Northern Ireland rate remains below the UK average (5.5%) and is also considerably lower than the EU27 rate (7.3%) for March 2007.

The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits stands at 25,100. This shows a decrease of 200 from the previous month and is down 3,200 over the year.

Commenting on the figures, Economy Minister, Nigel Dodds, said: “These figures represent very positive news. Northern Ireland is experiencing record levels of jobs, combined with historically low levels of unemployment and this provides evidence that the economy is moving in the right direction.

“The success of private sector services in Northern Ireland has been instrumental in ensuring continued jobs growth in recent years.

“This is an area where there is still much potential for our labour market to grow and we must continue to encourage our businesses to be more market aware and to engage in innovative areas that will enable them to compete internationally. By following the example set by our most competitive and successful companies, we can ensure that growth becomes more firmly established across the Northern Ireland economy.”

(JM/KMcA)