Derry dole rate by far the highest in the north
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The latest labour market report shows the rate of Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit (UC) claimants is almost a full percentage point (0.8 per cent) higher than in Belfast - which has the second highest rate.
A monthly overview of key labour market statistics shows that in January 2023, 4,515 (4.8 per cent of working-age people) people were claiming JSA or UC.
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Hide AdThis was three full percentage points higher than Lisburn and Castlereagh where the rate was just 1.8 per cent. Lisburn and Castlereagh has the lowest rate of any local government district.
In Belfast the figure was 4 per cent.
In Derry and Strabane’s neighbouring districts the rate of claimants is also considerably lower. In Causeway Coast and Glens it is 3.2 per cent, in Fermanagh and Omagh it is 2.4 per cent, and in Mid Ulster it is 2.1 per cent