Increased employment and improved export orders are being reported by companies involved in the engineering sector in Northern Ireland, according to the latest report by the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF).

The EEF's director in Northern Ireland, Mr Peter Bloch, said that in the first three months of this year the performance of local companies had outstripped that in the rest of the UK.

"When we compare the results for the UK as a whole with those for Northern Ireland," Mr Bloch said, "several key elements emerge."

"Investment plans in Northern Ireland are higher than in Great Britain, and employment levels here are still rising. Export orders are also improving, in contrast to a downturn in the UK as a whole."