People joined the workforce at a rate of 1,000 a week last year, a new report has shown. And almost 3,000 more new jobs were created than the Central Statistics Office first estimated.

Official figures show there was a 52,000 increase in the number of people at work in the year to April 1995. It represents the biggest annual rise ever recorded in the survey.

A 10,000 rise in state sponsored employment schemes contributed to the increase. And more people in part time jobs and women at work also contributed to the unexpected rise.