NI business sectors report record bounce back

Two measures of economic output in Northern Ireland have reported a record bounce back after reporting record falls earlier this year.

That is according to official figures from NI Statistics and Research Agency.

Services - the biggest sector in the NI economy - saw output rise by 22.5% in the third quarter of this year after falling by 18% the previous quarter.

Growth was reported in wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, transport and ICT.

But overall services output is still lower than it was a year ago.

A similar picture was seen in industrial production, which includes sectors like manufacturing.

Output increased by 16.2% over the quarter from July to September, after a sharp fall of 14% the previous quarter.

The rise in output was driven by increases in manufacturing, energy, mining and quarrying, but levels are still lower than before the pandemic hit.