Employment rate in Northern ireland hits post-pandemic high

The employment rate measures the percentage of working-age adults who are in a job

The employment rate in Northern Ireland reached a post-pandemic high of 72.4% between September and November of last year.

The rate measures the percentage of working-age adults who are in a job.

It is still marginally below where it was at the end of 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other measures suggest the jobs market remained relatively strong at the end of last year, with unemployment close to a record low level at 2.4%.

Total hours worked across the economy also continued to increase.

The employment rate reached a recent low of 67.4% in early 2021, but has been on an upward trajectory since.

The most up-to-date figures - HMRC payroll data for December - suggests the total number of employees on company payrolls may have fallen slightly compared to November.

It shows 795,900 people were payrolled employees in December 2023, a 0.1% decrease from the previous month but a 1.5% increase over the year.