NORTHERN Ireland is one of the leading two regions in the United Kingdom for international job creation, according to a report yesterday from accountants and management consultants Coopers and Lybrand.

But government money is not the major factor in persuading foreign owned firms to locate in the North, the report claims.

The big inducement for companies already in the North, and those who plan to invest an additional £270 million sterling, is the available labour and skills.

Investors also found operating costs significantly lower than anticipated.

The report revealed that Northern Ireland, with only 3 per cent of the UK's population, attracted 9 per cent of all new jobs promoted last year.

This was at a time when the IRA ceasefire was in operation. The only region to achieve a higher rate of investment was the north east of England.

Northern Ireland's infrastructure, perceived by foreign investors as comparatively unattractive when location plans were being made, was deemed to be second best in the UK by companies which located in the North.

Northern Ireland faced continued fierce competition, particularly from Scotland and the Republic, in its attempts to attract foreign investment.