Figures show slight drop in borough's jobless total

The number of people out of work and claiming benefits in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area dropped by 0.8 per cent last month, according to the latest government figures.

The January Labour Market Report reveals that the local jobless total stood at 2,115 during December - 1,529 men and 586 women - a decrease of 18 people from the previous month.

The borough’s claimant count (2.4 per cent of the working age population) is still the third lowest among the 11 council areas.

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According to the NI Statistics and Research Agency, the local jobless total has dropped by 16.4 per cent (414 people) over the past year.

Across Northern Ireland, the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits decreased by 500 in December to 38,700.

The Northern Ireland unemployment rate now stands at 5.9 per cent.