More than a quarter of people at working age in Northern Ireland are out of a job and not looking for employment, according to figures published yesterday.

The group accounts for 26 per cent of those at working age in Northern Ireland - the highest rate anywhere in the UK.

Despite a fall of 7,000 in the number of people not looking for work, the Department of Finance and Personnel said the "seasonally adjusted working age economic inactivity rate in Northern Ireland (26.6 per cent) remains significantly higher than the UK average (21.0 per cent) and is the highest among the UK regions".

However, the latest employment figures covering the three months to June show a record increase in the number of people in work to 769,000. Employment rates are rising faster in Northern Ireland than the rest of the UK - by 1.5 per cent in the last quarter.

A spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment said: "Employment levels are at a record high and the unemployment rate continues on a downward trend. It remains below the UK average."

Unemployment in the North was 4.2 per cent from April to June, down from 4.4 per cent the previous quarter and 5 per cent for the same period last year. It is below the UK average of 5.5 per cent and the EU level for May, which was 8.2 per cent.