Business Register and Employment Survey 2016

Date published: 14 December 2017

Latest results for 2016

The total number of employee jobs in Northern Ireland in September 2016 was 739,615, consisting of 82% in the Services industry, 11% in the Manufacturing industry, 4% in the Construction industry and 3% in the ‘Other’ industry.

Key points

• Employee jobs increased by 10,683 (1.5%) since September 2015.  This growth was driven mainly by an increase in employee jobs in the Services industry which was responsible for 78% of the total increase.
• Construction jobs increased by 5% (1,644 jobs) over the year to September 2016.
• There was a larger increase in full-time jobs (7,257) than part-time jobs (3,425).  However at 1.5% and 1.3% respectively the rate of increase was similar.
• Between September 2015 and September 2016, there was a 2% decrease in jobs in the public sector (-4,803 jobs) and a 3% rise in jobs in the private sector (15,485 jobs).
• The number of employee jobs in the public sector has fallen below 200,000 for the first time since 2001.
• The proportion of jobs in the public sector was 27% in 2016.  This is the lowest proportion reported since public/private employee jobs figures were first published in 1997 when the proportion of public sector jobs was 34%.
• Seven district councils recorded an increase in the number of employee jobs since 2015, excluding agriculture, the largest increase was in Antrim and Newtownabbey (4,251 jobs or 8%) to 60,188 jobs.
• Four district councils recorded a decrease in the number of employee jobs since 2015, the largest decrease was in Belfast (-1,704 jobs or -1%).
• Full report.