Continued jobs growth in Northern Ireland
Wednesday, 13 June 2007Figures released today show Northern Ireland has the highest number of jobs on record, while the unemployment rate remains below the UK average.
Seasonally adjusted figures from the Quarterly Employment Survey estimated that there were 711,830 employee jobs filled in March 2007, representing a net increase of 2,020 over the quarter and an increase of 6,770 over the year. The overall increase over the quarter was driven by rises in Service Sector jobs (+1,750) and Construction jobs (+500), while manufacturing jobs fell slightly (-280).
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Northern Ireland was 4.3% for the period February – April 2007. This estimate is unchanged over the quarter, but has fallen from the rate of 4.9% recorded for the same period one year ago. The Northern Ireland rate remains below the UK average (5.5%) and is also considerably lower than the EU27 rate (7.3%) for March 2007.
The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits stands at 25,100. This shows a decrease of 200 from the previous month and is down 3,200 over the year.
The latest seasonally adjusted working age economic inactivity rate in Northern Ireland (25.5%) has decreased from a figure of 26.9% for the previous quarter and now stands at its lowest level on record. However, the Northern Ireland rate (25.5%) is still significantly higher than the UK average (21.3%) and it remains the highest among the UK regions.
Commenting on the figures, Economy Minister, Nigel Dodds said: “These figures represent very positive news. Northern Ireland is experiencing record levels of jobs, combined with historically low levels of unemployment and this provides evidence that the economy is moving in the right direction.”
“The success of private sector services in Northern Ireland has been instrumental in ensuring continued jobs growth in recent years. This is an area where there is still much potential for our labour market to grow and we must continue to encourage our businesses to be more market aware and to engage in innovative areas that will enable them to compete internationally. By following the example set by our most competitive and successful companies, we can ensure that growth becomes more firmly established across the Northern Ireland economy.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Media enquiries should be directed to the DETI Press Office on telephone
028 9052 9604.
General information can be obtained from Paul McKillen, DETI Statistics Research Branch, on Tel: 028 9052 9585.
The Labour Force Survey figures quoted are estimates and are subject to sampling error. This means that the exact figure is likely to be contained in a range surrounding the estimate quoted.
Details of the sampling errors, together with more detailed statistical information and definitions of the methodology used, can be found in the Labour Market Report (LMR), which is available on the following website:
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