Employment levels in Northern Ireland reach a new high

Employment in Northern Ireland has risen to a record high and the unemployment rate remains below the UK average.

Seasonally adjusted figures for the period January - March 2007 estimate that there were 776,000 people in employment in Northern Ireland, the highest figure on record. The new figures represent an estimated increase of 1.2% in employment levels over the quarter and an increase of 2.2% over the year.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Northern Ireland was 4.2% for the period January - March 2007. This rate is unchanged from the previous quarter, but has fallen slightly from the rate of 4.4% recorded for the same period last year. The latest Northern Ireland rate is below the UK average (5.5%) and is also considerably lower than the EU27 rate (7.4%) for February 2007.

During the last month, the number of people claiming unemployment related benefits decreased by 300. The latest seasonally adjusted claimant count figure stands at 25,400, down 2,900 over the year.

The latest seasonally adjusted working age economic inactivity rate in Northern Ireland (26.4%) is down from the figure recorded in the previous quarter (27.4%). However, the Northern Ireland rate remains significantly higher than the UK average (21.2%) and is the highest among the UK regions.

Commenting on the figures, Economy Minister Nigel Dodds said: "These figures are very encouraging and highlight the recent strong performance of the Northern Ireland labour market. Employment levels are at a record high and the unemployment rate is the second lowest among UK regions.

"However, there is still much potential for the Northern Ireland labour market to grow. I look forward to working closely with all the relevant stakeholders to strengthen the conditions needed for continued economic growth.

“This week is ‘Innovation Week’ in Northern Ireland and it is worth re-iterating that innovation is a key driver of economic performance. It is therefore important for all businesses here, regardless of size or sector, to recognise this and embrace innovation to increase their competitiveness in an increasingly challenging global marketplace.

“In short, I firmly believe that innovation means better products and services, more efficient processes and potentially increased sales and exports. In addition, it can lead to a better skilled workforce and higher paid jobs.”

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), (pdf 275.21 kb) which is available on the DETI website.