Figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), for the period January-December 2008,
estimated that there were 786,000 people in employment in Northern Ireland.
Of these, 54% were male (423,000) and 46% were female (362,000).
The unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in 2008, which was below the UK average rate of 5.7%.
However, the working-age economic inactivity rate (i.e. those of working age who not in employment and are also not
unemployed) stood at 27.3%. This was considerably higher than the UK average (21.4%) and
the highest of all UK regions.
Statistics on the NI labour market are available from a number of sources:
1. Labour Market Report monthly report on the NI labour market
2. Labour Market Bulletin annual bulletin on the NI labour market
Detailed Labour Market small area statistics can also be obtained from the Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service website
by clicking here
Official statistical publications on this theme can also be found
here
