More jobs are being created in Northern Ireland than are being lost despite continuing problems in the manufacturing industry, figures showed today.
The latest government statistics showed there were 669,110 people in work in June - a record high.
Unemployment in the quarter to the end of July stood at 41,000 - up 0.2 per cent on the previous three months but down 0.4 per cent (3,000) on the same time last year. The 5.3 per cent unemployment rate remains at historically low levels.
Over the year 4,670 jobs had been lost in manufacturing.
However it was more than counterbalanced by the service sector, which continued to perform well, and some 11,000 more people were employed in the sector than a year ago.
The seasonally adjusted total of people claiming benefits stands at 34,000, showing a rise of 400 on the month but a drop of 900 over the year.