Skip navigation.

This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards,but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

local statistics

To view statistics on your local area please enter full postcode e.g. 'BT01 4AB'

Search NISRA

To search NISRA website enter keywords below

Northern Ireland Labour Market

Overview

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.

More information

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

Other key publications

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

latest news



    2011 Census Outputs Consultation (June 2010)
    Click Here

    Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure 2010
    Now Available

    New Publications
    Registrar General Quarterly Report, Quarter 1, 2010

    2009 Mid Year Population Estimates for Northern Ireland

    2008-based Household Projections for Northern Ireland
    Read Story

    Forthcoming Publications
    Click Here