Work quality | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Work Quality in Northern Ireland indicators 2025

Latest results

The latest work quality statistics were released on 31st March 2026, and contained analysis of seventeen work quality indicators; earnings, secure employment, under/over employment, job satisfaction, meaningful work, career progression, employee involvement in decision-making, bullying/harassment, under/over skilled, line manager support, flexible working, accidents at work, trade union membership, participation in training, overtime (paid and unpaid) and non zero-hours contracts.

Key Points:

Six of the seventeen indicators experienced significant improvements between 2021 and 2025: neither under nor over skilled, overtime (paid and unpaid), job satisfaction, earning at least the Real Living Wage (RLW), flexible working, and job security.
The largest improvement between 2021 and 2025 has been seen in the proportion of employees who reported having the correct level of skills required for their current duties (neither under nor over skilled) an increase of 7 percentage points (pps). Followed by the proportion of employees who reported having worked overtime (paid or unpaid), which has decreased 6pps.
For the remaining eleven indicators the results have been consistent across the time series, with no real change since 2021.
Over the last year, there has been a significant increase in two of the indicators; neither under nor over skilled, and earning at least the RLW.
Nearly all employees reported that they had job security and a similar proportion had not had an accident at work. 9 out of 10 employees did not have a zero-hours contract.
By sex, there were significant differences between male and females for five of the seventeen indicators; females were more likely than males to have flexible work, job satisfaction and line manager support. With males more likely to be earning at least the RLW and not having a zero-hours contract.
By age, a significantly higher proportion of employees aged 40 and over were earning at least the RLW and reported meaningful work than those aged between 18 and 39.
However, a significantly higher proportion of those aged between 18 and 39 reported opportunities for career progression than those aged 40 and over. Overall, by age, there were significant differences in seven of the seventeen indicators.
The largest differences across the cohorts were seen across skill levels, with significant differences in seven of the seventeen indicators. A higher proportion of employees in high skilled jobs earned at least the RLW, reported career progression, being involved in decision making, trade union membership, not having a zero-hours contract, meaningful work, and line manager support.
By deprivation areas, there was a difference in six of the seventeen indicators, with a notably larger proportion of employees living in the least deprived areas earning at least the RLW, reporting career progression, job satisfaction, not having a zero-hours contract, and job security.
However, these employees were more likely to report that they had been bullied or harassed at work than those employees living in the most deprived areas.

Latest publications

Work Quality in Northern Ireland 2025

Previous publications and tables

Work plan

Work quality work plan 2024

Background information

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