The number of people out of work in Northern Ireland jumped by a further 10,000 between May to July pushing the official jobless rate to a high of 8.2 per cent latest government figures have revealed.

It is the first time in nearly two years that the Northern Ireland rate has moved above the British average rate which now stands at 8.1 per cent.

The latest figures show that the North’s particular problem with youth unemployment is getting worse.

In the three months to July the jobless rate for young people in Northern Ireland soared to 23.5 per cent compared to the British rate of 19.6 per cent.