Rate of out-of-work workers in Derry/Strabane dependent on JSA and UC 2.5 times Lisburn/Castlereagh

The latest labour market report shows the rate of dole claimants locally is several percentage points higher than Belfast - which has the second highest rate.

A monthly overview of key labour market statistics shows that in December 2022, the number of people claiming Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) or Universal Credit (UC) was 4,530 (4.8 per cent of working-age people).

In Lisburn and Castlereagh, the district which borders East and South Belfast, the rate was just 1.9 per cent.

In Belfast - which posted the second highest rate in the north - the figure was 4.1 per cent.

While the dole rate in Derry/Strabane remains the highest in the north, it has decreased by -410 (-8 per cent) year-on-year.

There was, however, a slight increase of 70 (1.6 per cent) in the number of claims over the previous month.