Continued expansion was evident in Northern Ireland's private sector last month, according to the latest Ulster Bank purchasing managers' index (PMI) report for the region.
The PMI report, published yesterday, highlighted that February was the 47th consecutive month in which private-sector business activity increased in the North.
"The boom conditions of recent months eased off in February as Northern Ireland slipped from second to third place in the regional growth stakes, but growth still remains above the UK average," said Pat McArdle, chief economist at Ulster Bank.
"The rate of increase in employment, too, levelled off but the North held on to its position as the best-performing region on this measure. The Northern Ireland index was also above the Republic's one, signalling that employment growth is faster north of the Border, a rare occurrence," he said.
The PMI report indicated that the increase in activity in February was driven by a significant uplift in new business, and noted that growth was boosted by "robust market conditions" and strong demand.
