Jobs boost at small businesses

Recent LEDU campaign highlighted internet opportunities

Northern Ireland's small business agency has said 1,300 jobs were created last year by companies it backed.

The Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU) said that in total 1,700 jobs were created in new businesses backed by the agency and its partners.

Both figures were well up on 1998 statistics.

However, according to the figures, sales outside Northern Ireland by small firms have been hard-hit by the strength of sterling.

Overall, the figures added to indicators that Northern Ireland's economy is in a relatively buoyant state.

'Best performing region'

Chief executive of LEDU Chris Buckland said: "I think small businesses have come of age in Northern Ireland.

Chris Buckland: Good small firm survival rate

"I think through the 90s, that was a trend that was occurring.

"We would point to the very good three-year survival rates in Northern Ireland, significantly better than in any other region in the UK and that is something we can be quite proud of."

However the statistics also show that while the service sector, including information technology grew well, other sectors, particularly engineering and food were under pressure.

Smaller firms tended to sell more locally than their larger counterparts, with most external sales going Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Sales by Northern Ireland companies in both of those markets were hit, rising only fractionally.

LEDU said the strong pound sterling made it hard to export into the Republic of Ireland and made foreign imports cheaper than those from Northern Ireland in Great Britain.

However, it said that given the problems the sector's overall performance was good.