Youth dole queues rocket in CoC

Between 2006 and 2011 the youth dole claimant rate in Londonderry increased by 6.2 per cent from 1,190 young people to 1,175 young people.

In Londonderry 15.7 per cent of young people of working age are now jobless.

Limavady is even worse. Over the same five years the youth dole claimant count increased by 11.2 per cent to 16.7 per cent of would-be young workers.

The increase in Strabane over the same period was 4.6 per cent, which is less than the Northern Ireland average of 5.2 per cent but the rate of young people on the dole in the Tyrone village is now 13.3 per cent or the working population who are aged between 18 and 24.

Omagh (6.4 per cent) and Moyle (6.3 per cent) also recorded increases.

Responding to a query from party colleague Gregory Campbell, the DUP Finance Minister Sammy Wilson explained the figures referred to the annual average number of persons aged 18-24 claiming unemployment related benefits in 2006 and 2011.