Figures released yesterday by the North's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment indicate a further fall in the numbers unemployed.
The Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey figures for the final quarter of last year show 45,000 people, or 6 per cent of the North's workforce, are currently unemployed.
The figures represent a fall of 5,000 on the same period last year.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance between December 2000 and January 2001 also fell by 800. The North's Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Sir Reg Empey, said the figures were encouraging against the backdrop of a "severe contraction" in some of the economy's traditional sectors.
"I take considerable encouragement from the fact that as we work to develop a knowledge-based economy in Northern Ireland and create the right environment for fostering growth, this has opened up many new employment opportunities." However, the Minister stressed that while this month's data were positive, a significant number of job losses were announced last month.
Mr Alasdair McDonnell of the SDLP welcomed the figures, but called on the Minister to redouble his efforts to reduce unemployment to 5 per cent before the end of the year.