The number of registered unemployed in February increased by 358 compared with the same period last year to reach 7,279 people, according to official statistics.

There was an increase of 555 people, nine per cent, registering for work under Part 1 of the unemployment register, bringing the total to 6,732.

Those who fall under Part 1 are new job seekers who have left school, re-entrants into the labour market, and those who have been made redundant.

People who form part of Part 2 have been dismissed due to disciplinary action, resigned, refused work or training opportunities or struck off the unemployment register. These fell by 26.5 per cent to 547.

Overall, the number on the register rose by 358, or 5.2 per cent.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.