Latest figures reveal welcome drop in number of local people out of work

The number of local people out of work and claiming unemployment benefits fell by almost three per cent last month, according to the government's latest figures.

The December Labour Market Report reveals that during November there were 1,276 claimants in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area - 825 men and 451 women. That represents an decrease of 38 people (2.9 per cent) from the previous month.

The area’s claimant count now stands at 1.4 per cent of the working age population - the lowest among the 11 council areas.

According to the NI Statistics and Research Agency, the local jobless total has dropped by 18.6 per cent (292 people) over the past year.

Related topics: