NI unemployment claimants fell by 1,100 in September

Image caption, NI unemployment claimants fell by 1,100 in September

The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland fell by 1,100 in September to 40,700.

The claimant count has now fallen by 24,000 since the most recent peak in February 2013.

The other measure of unemployment, the Labour Force Survey, fell by 0.3 percentage points to 6% in September.

That is higher than the UK unemployment rate which stands at 5.4%.

Over the quarter from June to August the number of people in employment in Northern Ireland was unchanged and has fallen slightly over the year.

The explanation for employment and unemployment falling at the same time is a rise in the number of people classified as economically inactive.

Economic inactivity refers to people of working age who are not seeking work.

It can cover students, people with health conditions, or those with caring or parenting responsibilities.

The economic inactivity rate in Northern Ireland is 27.6% compared to a UK average rate of 22.1%.