Derry/Strabane has greatest level of unemployment in North

The Foyle parliamentary constituency has the second highest unemployment rate out of all 650 constituencies.

The statistics, which were published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency on Wednesday, reveal the total number of people in receipt of unemployment related benefits in Derry and Strabane increased by 0.2 per cent last month.

Of the 11 council areas in the North, Derry and Strabane continues to be the one with the greatest level of unemployment (5.3 per cent).

The council area with the second greatest unemployment rate is Belfast (3.0 per cent).

In terms of the change over the last 12 months, the unemployment rate in Derry and Strabane has decreased by 17.8 per cent - this equates to 1,098 men and women of working age.

The average unemployment rate throughout the North is 2.8 per cent.

The most recent unemployment statistics (December 2016) for all 650 Westminster parliamentary constituencies has Foyle (8.3 per cent) as the constituency with the second greatest level of unemployment.

The only other constituency with a greater unemployment rate than Foyle was Birmingham, Ladywood (9.6 per cent).