1,038 now out of work locally

According to the latest Economic and Labour Market Statistics from the Department of Enterprise, the local claimant count now stands at 1,038 compared to 1,021 in January.

Wards registering the most claimants for unemployment were Ballee with 90 - a non-mover from January (90), Ballykeel with 78 claimants - down five from January (83) and Dunclug with 73 (71 in January).

The ward with the lowest claimant count was Slemish with 13, up just one from January.

Meanwhile, in the Antrim district, unemployment saw a drop on the previous month with the local claimant count now standing at 798 compared to 810 in January.

Wards registering the most claimant counts for unemployment were Springfarm with 86 - 92 in January; Crumlin with 73 (71 in January); and Massereene with 58 (55 in January).

The wards with the lowest number of claimants in February were Templepatrick with 16 claimants (12 in January); Parkgate with 19 (24 in January); and Shilvodan with 22 (21 in January).

Province wide, the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland rose by 200 over the past month.