Unemployment in Northern Ireland has increased again, but the number of people claiming benefits reduced last month to the lowest level in almost 27 years, according to figures released today.
At the same time the number of people in work reached an all-time high.
The latest seasonally adjusted unemployment figures nudged up 1,000 to 47,000 (an increase of 0.3 per cent) during the three months from November to February compared with the previous quarter, the Labour Force Survey showed.
Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, said the increase was less than could have been expected.
"Despite some recent gloomy economic news at home and abroad, unemployment has not increased as sharply as we might have expected, given the trading difficulties some companies have reported," he said.
The long-term unemployment figure stands at 17,000 - 3,000, or 6.5%, lower than a year ago." The number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance between January and February fell by 300 to 37,700.
The minister said it was the lowest level since September 1975 and represented 4.8 per cent of the workforce. The number of claimants had dropped 2,700 over the past year.
The number of people in work stands at 652,410, the highest on record.
The latest estimate from the Quarterly Employment Survey said that between September and December 2001 there was an increase in employee jobs of 7,820.
But on the downside, the number of manufacturing jobs fell by 1,080 over the same period.
PA