There were 313 registered unemployed at the end of February – an increase of 16 on the previous month.

The unemployment rate – the proportion of the economically active population registered out of work – was 0.7%, the same as for January.

Some 841 job vacancies remained at the Job centre at the end of the month, an increase of 95 compared to the previous month.

Of these, 56% (469) were full time positions and 44% (372) were part time.

International Labour Organisation estimates, which include those out of work but not registered unemployed, put the jobless figure at 758, up from 742 in January. This amounts to an unemployment rate of 1.7%.

Unemployment peaked at 1,347 in April 2020 during the Covid pandemic but has since fallen sharply, dropping to a low of 257 in April last year.