The number of people on the Live Register fell by just over 2,000 to 152,560 in May, according to the Central Statistics Office.
But the seasonally adjusted total rose by 600 to 158,600, the highest figure since March last year. The unemployment rate was 4.4%, in line with the latest Quarterly National Household Survey from the CSO.
Six of the eight regions recorded falls in the Live Register in May, with the Midlands and the West the only regions showing an increase.
