Covid-19: NI unemployment rates back to pre-pandemic levels

775,000 people were on company payrolls in March, HMRC figures suggest

The unemployment rate in Northern Ireland fell back to its pre-pandemic level at the start of this year, official figures suggest.

The rate in the period December-February was 2.5%, a significant fall of 1 percentage point over the year and 0.6 percentage points over the quarter.

It is just slightly above the all-time low of 2.3% recorded in 2019.

Other figures also suggest that the jobs market continued to recover in the first quarter of 2022.

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HMRC figures suggest 775,000 people were on company payrolls in March, a 0.1% increase on February and 4.8% higher than March 2021.

That is the 10th consecutive month that employee numbers have been above pre-Covid levels.

All regions of the UK saw payrolls increase over the year to March 2022, with London recording the largest increase (7%) and the Scotland recording the smallest (4.1%).

Northern Ireland recorded a similar increase to the UK average (4.8% and 4.9% respectively).

On a longer timeframe from March 2020 to March 2022, all regions of the UK also recorded an average 2% increase in payrolled employees. Northern Ireland recorded the largest increase (3%).

However, the recovery is not complete. Total hours worked, self-employment and the overall employment rate are still below pre-pandemic levels in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said: "Employee indicators remain positive with the number of payrolled employees and level of payroll earnings above the pre-pandemic level, while the latest unemployment rate marks a return to the pre-pandemic rate.

"Employment levels (which includes self-employment) and total hours worked have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels and similarly claimant count and economic inactivity both remain above."