The unemployment rate is now 5% - the highest for six years.
The latest Household Labour Force Survey shows 115,000 people were out of work at the end of March - up 7000 during the first three months of the year.
The number of jobs in the economy fell by 24,000 during the same period.
Part time jobs fell by 16,000. Full time employment was also down.
Numbers in the workforce also fell during the period despite an increase in the working age population due to higher immigration.
