City's jobless figures up by 500

3,250 people are registered as unemployed in Derry

The number of unemployed people in Londonderry has risen by almost 500 in the last year.

Figures from the Department of Employment and Learning show that 3,250 people are currently registered as unemployed in Derry.

DEL district manager, Damien McAdams, said he expects the number of people out of work in the city to increase.

"The downturn generally is inevitably having an effect, particularly in the construction sector," he said.

"We've been affected to some degree by some of the recent lay-offs in Seagate and places like that."

In Northern Ireland as a whole, 30,300 people claimed unemployment benefit in October 2008.