Fifth of jobless young people in NI cannot find work

One in five young people looking for work in Northern Ireland cannot find a job, according to the latest figures.

The estimated unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds in Northern Ireland is 21%

Using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) definition of unemployment, the overall rate here is 7.6%.

That figure is unchanged form the previous quarter and is slightly below the UK average of 7.8%.

However, the number claiming unemployment benefits in NI is rising. In October, 64,100 claimed the dole, a rise of 600 on the previous month.

This monthly increase (0.9%) in unemployment related benefit claimants was higher than the average rise (0.6%) across the UK.

Education

Richard Ramsey, Ulster Bank's chief economist in Northern Ireland said: "Another 600 people were added to Northern Ireland's dole queue (claimant count unemployment) in October. This was the largest monthly rise since August 2010. "

In the past year, the number signing on the dole in Northern Ireland has risen by 3,600 but at the same time the dole claimant figure across the UK as a whole has been falling.

Mr Ramsey said: Since the credit crunch officially began (August 2007), Northern Ireland's unemployment register has risen by 40,600, or 173%, and brings the total claimant count to 64,100.

The number of youth claimants, those aged under 25 years of age, fell by 771 during October.

According to Mr Ramsey this decline was expected, given the number of young people who started further and higher education last month.

The latest figures show for the three months from June to August , the estimated unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds in Northern Ireland is 21%, which is just above the UK average.