Labour Market Report August 2019

Date published: 13 August 2019

Latest labour market results

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) results released at 9.30am today indicated that the unemployment rate for April-June 2019 (3.1%) increased over the quarter by 0.2 percentage points. The inactivity rate (25.5%) decreased over the quarter by 1.1 percentage points to a record low and the employment rate (72.2%) increased over the quarter by 0.9 percentage points to a record high.

• The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for the period April-June 2019 indicate that, over the quarter, economic inactivity rate decreased while the unemployment rate and employment rate increased.
• The LFS indicated that the NI unemployment rate (16+) increased over the quarter (0.2pps) and decreased over the year (0.6pps) to 3.1% in April-June 2019. Although the recent changes were not statistically significant, the unemployment rate was significantly below rates in mid-2017. The NI unemployment rate was below the UK rate (3.9%), the Republic of Ireland rate (4.5%) and the EU rate (6.3%).
• The proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in work (the employment rate) increased over the quarter (0.9pps) and the year (2.6pps) to a record high of 72.2%. The annual change was statistically significant and likely to reflect real change. The latest employment rate recorded for the whole of the UK (76.1%) was the joint highest rate on record.
• 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) decreased by 1.1pps over the quarter and by 2.2pps over the year to 25.5%, the lowest on record. The annual change was statistically significant and likely to reflect real change. The latest economic inactivity rate recorded for the whole of the UK was 20.7%, which was the joint lowest on record.
• The number of confirmed redundancies (1,785) in the most recent 12 months was lower than the previous 12 months (2,911).  There were 109 confirmed redundancies notified to the Department in July 2019, an increase from the revised total of 102 notified in June 2019.  
• Full report available here