Publication Schedule
Economic Overview - Dashboard
Economic Overview - Dashboard (online - opens in a new tab)
A PDF version of the dashboard and the associated data are available at this Economic Overview - Dashboard publication page.
Labour Market Insight - Dashboard
A local labour market insight dashboard has been launched by the Department for Communities which contains data sourced from the Labour Force Survey, Claimant Count, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Business Register and Employment Survey, and Inter Departmental Business Register. The dashboard can be accessed at this link.
Labour Market Insight - Dashboard
Economy & Labour Market - A summary of key statistics
This slide pack provides a high-level statistical summary of the Northern Ireland economy and labour market and should be considered in conjunction with the detailed supporting information and commentary that can be accessed via the various links and associated sources that have been highlighted. NI Economy & Labour Market - A summary of key statistics.
Latest Labour Market Report
The latest Labour Market Report can be accessed via the Labour Market Overview page.
At a glance
Labour Force Survey
- The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (age 16 and over) for the period December-February 2024 was estimated at 2.2%.
- The seasonally adjusted employment rate (aged 16 to 64) for December-February 2024 was estimated at 71.7%.
- The seasonally adjusted economic inactivity rate (aged 16 to 64) for December-February 2024 was estimated at 26.7%.
Further information on the Labour Force Survey
Labour Force Survey - Dashboard
Claimant Count (experimental)
- NI claimant count (experimental) was 36,700, an increase of 1.7% from the previous month.
- In March 2024, 3.8% of the NI workforce was recorded on the claimant count.
Further information on Claimant Count
Redundancies
- 200 redundancies were confirmed in March 2024, taking the annual total to 2,480, which was more than double the figure for the previous 12 months (1,070).
- There were 70 proposed redundancies in March 2024, taking the annual total to 3,890, which was almost double the previous year (2,190).
Further information on Redundancies
Quarterly Employment Survey
- The number of employee jobs in December 2023 was estimated 817,780.
Further information on the Quarterly Employment Survey
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
- Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in April 2023 increased by 7.4% from £597 in 2022 to £641 in 2023. This year’s annual increase is the second largest on record.
- In real terms (that is, adjusted for inflation) weekly earnings in NI decreased by 0.3% over the year to April 2023, which is the second consecutive real terms decrease, following the largest annual decrease on record to April 2022 (3.7%).
Further information on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
Business Register and Employment Survey
- The total number of employee jobs in Northern Ireland in September 2020 was 779,053, a decrease of 6,817 jobs (-0.9%) since September 2019.
Further information on the Business Register and Employment Survey
Inter Departmental Business Register
- The number of VAT and/or PAYE registered businesses operating in Northern Ireland in 2021 is estimated to have risen by 1,550 (2.0%) since 2020 to 77,640. This marked the seventh consecutive year of increase following a period of decline from 2008 to 2014, and is the highest annual increase since 2018.
Further information on the Inter Departmental Business Register.
NI Composite Economic Index
- The NICEI indicates that economic output decreased by 0.2% over the quarter to December 2023 and increased by 0.3% over the year.
Further information on the Northern Ireland Composite Economic Index
Index of Services
Further information on the Index of Services
Retail Sales Index
- NI Retail Sales Index output, a subset of the Index of Services, decreased 0.7% over the quarter(October - December 2023); increased by 0.6% over the year; and increased by 1.3% over the most recent four quarters compared to the previous four quarters. Please note that the experimental Retail Sales Index is included in the NI IOS from Quarter 3 2023.
Further information on the Index of Services
Index of Production
- The NI IOP increased by 0.4% over the quarter (October - December) and decreased by 3.3% over the year.
Further information on the Index of Production
Northern Ireland Broad Economy Sales and Exports Statistics (BESES)
- In 2020, total sales by companies in Northern Ireland (NI) were estimated to be worth £67.1 billion.
Further information on the BESES
Index of Construction
- In the fourth quarter of 2023, the total volume of construction output increased by 0.8%, decreased by 1.4% over the year and increased by 4.9% on a rolling four quarters basis.