Seasonally adjusted figures show that the number of people on the Live Register rose by 1,500 in February to 157,800. This is the highest figure since June last year but is still below the total for February last year.
The headline figure was up 647 to 159,399. The unemployment rate was 4.3%, up from the CSO's last estimate of 4.2%.
There were increases in six of the state's eight regions in February, the largest (1.1%) in the Mid-East. The Border and South-West regions showed falls.
