Unemployment in NI rises but remains less than UK average

The unemployment rate in Northern Ireland has risen for the first time in a year, but remains below the UK average.

According to the latest official figures released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), it now stands at 3.8%, an increase of 0.7%.

The UK average is 4%.

Northern Ireland has been experiencing "historically low unemployment rates" for around 12 months.

NISRA said improvements in the labour market are similar to what is happening in the rest of the UK.

The latest data shows that all sectors of the labour market added jobs in the first months of 2018.

In March, the manufacturing workforce stood at 85,970 - an increase of 4.3% compared to the same point in 2017.

However, the employment rate - the proportion of the working age population in a job - continues to remain well below the UK average.

The rate in Northern Ireland is now 69%, compared to 76% nationally.

The difference can be explained by Northern Ireland's high levels of economic inactivity, or the number of people not seeking any employment.