THE number of unemployed people has risen by 121 (0.3 per cent), the latest Treasury figures show.
At the end of January the number out of work stood at 1,100, an unemployment rate of 2.5 per cent.
Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK said: ‘Though regrettable, an increase in numbers on the register this month does not come as a total surprise. You have to go back many years for the last time unemployment fell in January.
‘Whilst the overall trend has been up there was a sharp increase in the number of vacancies notified to the job centre in the last month and this does demonstrate that the economy is still creating employment opportunities.’
During January, 296 signed on and 175 signed off, a net increase of 121. Of the total unemployed 795 are males and 305 are females. A total of 452 vacancies were notified to the Job Centre during January and at the end of the month 305 positions were still vacant and held on file.