Northern Ireland Unemployment Falls to 1.8% as Employment Edges Up to 72.1%
Updated
Updated · The Irish News · Jul 21
Northern Ireland Unemployment Falls to 1.8% as Employment Edges Up to 72.1%
2 articles · Updated · The Irish News · Jul 21
Summary
Northern Ireland’s labour market was broadly flat in June, with unemployment at 1.8% in March-May and the employment rate for ages 16-64 rising to 72.1%.
HMRC payroll employment held at 820,800 over the month, while median monthly pay climbed £21 to £2,480 and was up 4.9% from a year earlier.
Hours worked rose 3.1% on the quarter to 29.5 million, economic inactivity slipped to 26.5%, and the claimant count fell 1.8% in June to 33,800, or 3.3% of the workforce.
Redundancy pressure also eased, with confirmed redundancies down 23% year on year to 1,670 and proposed redundancies falling 5% to 2,860.
Claimant numbers still remain 13% above pre-pandemic levels, and employers are balancing steady pay growth against higher employment costs and uncertainty over the wider UK policy backdrop.