Increase in number of people out of work

The number of people registering as out of work in Ballymena saw a slight increase in the past month with an additional 35 claimants.
Minister for the Economy Simon Hamilton.  Picture: Kelvin Boyes Press Eye.Minister for the Economy Simon Hamilton.  Picture: Kelvin Boyes Press Eye.
Minister for the Economy Simon Hamilton. Picture: Kelvin Boyes Press Eye.

According to the latest Economic and Labour Market Statistics from the Department for the Economy, the local claimant count now stands at 1,047 (July) compared to 1,012 in June.

Wards registering the most claimants for unemployment in June were Dunclug with 85 (84 in June), Ballee with 74 (73 in June) and Harryville with 69 (65 in June).

The ward with the lowest claimant count was Slemish with 14 (12 in June).

Despite the increase in the number registering as out of work in July, figures show that local unemployment remains low compared to 2015.

Back in July 2015, 1,140 were registered as being out of work in the Ballymena area.

Meanwhile, in the Antrim area, unemployment remained the same as June with the local claimant count standing at 748.

Wards registering the most claimant counts for unemployment were Crumlin with 66 (70 in June); Springfarm with 63 (70 in June); and Fountain Hill with 50 (54 in June).

The wards with the lowest number of claimants in July were Templepatrick with 19 claimants (18 in June); Shilvodan with 23 (21 in June); and Parkgate with 24 (19 in June).

Across Northern Ireland, figures for July show that the number of claimants stood at 36,100, a decrease of 600 over the month.

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said: “Creating more and better jobs is a key priority for me so it is great that the unemployment level in Northern Ireland continues to head in the right direction.”