THE number of men out of work in Northern Ireland has fallen to its lowest level in 14 years, according to figures yesterday from the British government.

Male unemployment has dropped by 700 in the past month and by 1,300 in the past year to 14.7 per cent. Seasonally adjusted figures show a decrease in September of 1,200 on the previous month.

That brings the total number of unemployed down to 86,200 - 11.2 per cent of the workforce. The adjusted figures show a drop of 300 - 0.3 per cent - on the same period last year.

Without seasonal adjustments, unemployment last month stood at 86,669, 11.6 per cent of the workforce. Youth unemployment accounts for 27.9 per cent of the total figure, with 25,024 under 25s on the dole.

Northern Ireland's Economy Minister, Baroness Denton, welcomed the statistics and said the drop in male unemployment was well spread geographically. "These figures indicate just how good Northern Ireland's economic future can be given stability," she said.