Catholics in Northern Ireland are still far more likely to be unemployed than Protestants despite having higher qualifications and holding a higher proportion of professional jobs, according to a report.
The unemployment rate for Catholics was 8.8 per cent in 2000; for Protestants it was 5.2 per cent, according to a report from the British government's Statistics and Research Agency.
However, it was an improvement on 1993 when the unemployment rates were 18.1 per cent Catholic and 9.4 per cent Protestant.
The report said the religious composition of Northern Ireland's economically active population was 43 per cent Catholic and 57 per cent Protestant and closely mirrored those in employment - 42 per cent Catholic and 58 per cent Protestant.
But among the unemployed, the religious composition was 56 per cent Catholic and 44 cent Protestant, although a slightly higher number of Protestants had been unemployed for one year or more.
Catholic representation was highest in professional occupations at 48 per cent and in associated professional and technical occupations, at the same figure.
Catholic representation was highest in small-sized workplaces with one to 10 employees and lowest in large workplaces employing 50 or more.
Overall, a higher proportion of Catholics than Protestants had qualifications above A-level.
PA