Slight fall in borough’s jobless total

FIGURES released last Wednesday show that the unemployment rate in Ballymena has fallen in the past month, but by just 33 claimants.

The current unemployed total stands at 1,504 (for the month of June) compared to the previous month, May, when the total was 1,537.

Broken down into wards, Dunclug had the highest total unemployed in June (compared with 115 the previous month), next is Cullybackey at 103 (up from 97 in May), and joint third highest are Ballykeel and Ballee on 98 (99 and 107, respectively, in May).

The Ballymena Ward with the least unemployment last month was Ballyloughan on 23 (26 in May).

The figures, which covered the period March - May 2011. showed that the Northern Ireland unemployment rate decreased over the quarter to 7.1%.

More recent figures for June 2011 show that the number of unemployment benefit claimants increased by 400 from the previous month’s revised figure.

Commenting on the figures, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “The latest labour market indicators reported a slight fall in the Northern Ireland unemployment rate, with the rate remaining well below the average for the European Union.

“It was also encouraging to note the fall in economic inactivity levels during the latest quarter. High levels of economic inactivity have historically been an unenviable feature of the Northern Ireland labour market, so any improvement in our labour market participation rates is obviously a welcome step.

“The increased output in the Production sector over the quarter and the year is promising. Manufacturing is a key sector in Northern Ireland and there is evidence that it has been returning to growth with increased output in five out of the last six quarters.”

Arlene Foster added: “The latest figures confirm the continuing need to pursue a policy of accelerated growth in high value added sectors with all the benefits that brings in terms of the wider economy”.