New jobs created at job centres

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Up to 130 new civil service jobs are to be created in local job centres, the employment minister has announced.

Sir Reg Empey said they were being created to deal with the increasing number of people looking for work.

On Wednesday it was announced that unemployment benefit claims last month showed the sharpest rise for 28 years.

"It's not the sort of recruitment I would like to be talking about, but it's essential and it's a by-product of the economic downturn," he said.

"Last month alone 4,000 new people came in to sign, they all have to be processed, they have to be interviewed, their claims have to be dealt with.

"We have to provide a professional service to give the best possible opportunity to a claimant to get back into work."

Hotel jobs

In Belfast, meanwhile, 60 full-time jobs have been created with the opening of a new hotel in the city centre.

The Park Inn, off Bedford Street, marks a Â£16m investment by the Rezidor Hotel Group.