Derry/Strabane dole rate falls to 4.8% but remains highest in the North

The rate of Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Derry/Strabane fell from 5 per cent in April to 4.8 per cent in May, according to the latest labour market figures published by the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA).

The percentage of Derry/Strabane men claiming benefit entitlements fell from 6.2 per cent to 6 per cent.

For women, the fall was from 4 per cent to 3.7 per cent.

The rate for both sexes remains 2.5 times the rate in the Lisburn and Castlereagh council area which had the lowest percentage of claimants in the North at 1.9 per cent.

The claimant count rate in Belfast (4 per cent) was 0.8 percentage points lower than Derry/Strabane whilst the average rate for the North as a whole was 1.8 percentage points lower.

The labour market statistics were published by NISRA on Tuesday.