The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland has dropped, according to new figures. The unemployment rate was 5.9% between March and May this year, a decrease of 0.4% over the year.
The latest Labour Force Survey revealed in June that the number of unemployment claimants stood at 36,700, a decrease of 600 over the month. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton MLA welcomed the new figures, saying,
‘Our recovery has been characterised by strong employment growth and I am encouraged that the latest figures indicate that this remains the case. Our unemployment rate continues on a downward trend along with a reduction in the number of people in Northern Ireland claiming unemployment related benefits, a reduction of over 7,000 people in the year to June 2016. In addition, the Northern Ireland unemployment rate continues to compare favourably with the April 2016 rate for the European Union (8.7%) and Republic of Ireland (8.4%).’