Labour Market Report August 2017

Date published: 16 August 2017

Latest labour market results

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) results released at 9.30am today indicated that the unemployment rate was 5.3% (April - June 2017), unchanged over the quarter; the claimant count fell by 700 persons over the month (to July).

Key Points

• The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for the period April - June 2017 indicate that over the quarter, the employment rate increased, the unemployment rate was unchanged while the economic inactivity rate decreased. The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits in Northern Ireland (NI) decreased in July 2017.
• The proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in work (the employment rate) increased over the quarter (0.8 pps) and over the year (0.1 pps) to 69.2%.
• The LFS indicated that the NI unemployment rate (16+) was unchanged over the quarter to April - June 2017 but decreased by 0.7 pps over the year, to 5.3%. The equivalent UK unemployment rate was down over the quarter and over the year to 4.4%.
• The NI unemployment rate was below the European Union (7.8%) rate for May 2017 and Republic of Ireland (6.3%) rate for June 2017.
• The NI economic inactivity rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were not working and not seeking or available to work) was 26.9%, down 0.8 pps over the quarter and an increase of 0.5 pps over the year.
• None of the reported changes in employment, unemployment or economic inactivity were statistically significant over the quarter or the year. However, there have been statistically significant changes in the medium term – the increase in the employment rate compared to October - December 2009; the decrease in the unemployment rate compared to January – March 2014; and the decrease in the economic inactivity rate compared to July - September 2009.
• The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits (from NI Jobs and Benefits Offices) decreased by 700 over the month to 29,800 in July 2017. This is the 17th consecutive monthly decrease.
• The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits has fallen by 35,000 since the most recent peak in February 2013.
• Full report available here