North's dole queues swell by 400
Another 400 people joined the dole queues in the North last month despite evidence of a modest revival in sections of its economy.
The number claiming unemployment-related benefit now stands at 59,700, according to the latest government figures.
The quarterly unemployment rate for March to May actually fell slightly, by 0.2% to 7.1%.
In the same period, output from the North's production sector rose by 1.0%, while the UK decreased by 0.1%.
But in the services sector output fell over the quarter by 1.4% and by 5.5% compared to the same quarter one year earlier.
Meanwhile, the number of working age people considered economically inactive decreased by 16,000 (-4.9%) over the quarter, with the rate now standing at 26.7%.
However, that rate remained above the UK average rate (23.2%) and was the second highest rate among the 12 UK regions.
The North's unemployment rate was below the UK average rate (7.7%) and was also lower than the European Union (9.4%) and Republic of Ireland (14.7%) rates for April 2011.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster welcomed the positive elements of the labour market results.
“The latest labour market indicators reported a slight fall in the Northern Ireland unemployment rate, with the rate remaining well below the average for the European Union,” she said.
“It was also encouraging to note the fall in economic inactivity levels during the latest quarter. High levels of economic inactivity have historically been an unenviable feature of the Northern Ireland labour market, so any improvement in our labour market participation rates is obviously a welcome step.
“The increased output in the production sector over the quarter and the year is promising. Manufacturing is a key sector in Northern Ireland and there is evidence that it has been returning to growth with increased output in five out of the last six quarters.”
Arlene Foster added: “The latest figures confirm the continuing need to pursue a policy of accelerated growth in high value-added sectors with all the benefits that brings in terms of the wider economy.”
Around 49% of those unemployed in the North have been unemployed for one year or more.
The report also recorded the unemployment rate for 18-24-year-olds at 16.9%.
