Labour Force Survey

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a quarterly sample survey carried out by interviewing people about their personal circumstances and work. If you have been selected to take part in the survey please provide contact details to participate in a survey.

Labour Market Report

The latest Labour Market Report can be accessed via the Labour Market Overview page.

Labour Market Statistics – Transformation in Northern Ireland – May 2023

NISRA aims to provide the most accurate and up-to-date statistics about the local labour market. To achieve this, a number of initiatives are being taken forward including greater use of administrative data sources such as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Pay As You Earn data and the transformation of the Labour Force Survey (LFS).

Most of our labour market statistics will continue to be obtained from surveys completed by either households or businesses. Using surveys to collect labour market statistics is an effective and proven approach that delivers trusted results. In the next two years, NISRA are working towards transforming how we deliver key labour market surveys.

The transformation of the Labour Force Survey focuses on improving the design of the LFS and quality of its outputs. It will use enhanced address registers, improved sampling, and transform to a respondent led, online first approach supported by telephone collection and “knock to nudge” processes. To account for this, the transformation has also focused on a respondent-centred design of questions.

The current interviewer led approach will be retained for the next 12 months but more details on the transformation plan will be published soon.

The goal of these initiatives is to reduce the time and effort needed to collect survey data, to improve overall response and to provide more accurate and relevant statistics.

Publications

COVID-19 analysis

Regional tables

Historical data

Background information

User requested data

Labour market statistics are published regularly throughout the year. We also produce bespoke tables if users request data that are not already available.

    A list of published bespoke tables is available from the User requested data page

    Information on user events and consultations is available on the Labour Market Statistics User Engagement page.

    ELMS publication schedule

    Upcoming publication dates from the Economic and Labour Market Statistics Branch, including all Labour Force Survey publications can be found via the publication schedule page

    Selected for the Labour Force Survey

    If you have been selected to take part in the Labour Force Survey please provide us with a telephone number so that we can reach you.

    Due to current government advice regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) we are unable to send an interviewer in person to your address to carry out this study. We can carry out the study over the telephone instead.

    Please access the link below which contains more information and the secure link to enter your contact details and we will telephone you.

    Provide contact details to participate

    Mailing list

    If you would like to be added to a mailing list and receive the latest publications on the day they publish please email: economicstats@nisra.gov.uk with the title of the publications you would like to receive.


    Most recent documents


    Contacts for Labour Force Survey

    Labour Force Survey

    Mark McFetridge
    Telephone: 028 902 55172
    Email: lfs@finance-ni.gov.uk
    Twitter: @NISRA