North unemployment hits 4.1% in September

There was little change in the Northern Ireland unemployment rate over the quarter and it remains below the UK average.

There was little change in the Northern Ireland unemployment rate over the quarter and it remains below the UK average.

Northern Ireland's unemployment rate was estimated at 4.1 per cent for the three-month period to the end of September, marginally up on the 3.8 per cent reported during the same period a year ago.

The September unemployment rate was below the UK average 5.8 per cent, the 6.2 per cent for the Republic and the 6.9 per cent European average.

Seasonally adjusted estimates show there were 788,000 people at work in Northern Ireland, a rise of 0.7 per cent over the year.

The numbers claiming unemployment benefits increased by 1,100 to 30,300 in October, similar to that recorded in September which was the largest monthly increase in over twenty years.

Former construction employees accounted for approximately 65 per cent of the rise in claimants.