AQW 50802/11-16 Written question to the Minister of Finance and Personnel
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (i) the employment; (ii) the unemployment; and (iii) the economically inactive figures for each quarter of the last year for (a) Northern Ireland; and (b) each Council Area.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 12 November 2015
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 12 November 2015
- Answer due by
- 27 November 2015
- Answered
- 27 November 201515 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Finance
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Official estimates of employment, unemployment and economic inactivity are sourced from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The LFS is a sample survey that is primarily designed to provide labour market information at the Northern Ireland level.
The attached tables 1 - 4 provide details of economic status (relating to those aged 16 or over) for Northern Ireland and where these are available, for each Council Area, for the last four quarters.
Table 1: Labour market status (16+) by Council Area, October – December 2014
| In employment | Unemployed | Economically inactive | Total | |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 64,000 | * | 43,000 | 107,000 |
| Ards and North Down | 71,000 | * | 58,000 | 131,000 |
| Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon | 104,000 | * | 49,000 | 157,000 |
| Belfast | 133,000 | 10,000 | 116,000 | 259,000 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 64,000 | * | 47,000 | 116,000 |
| Derry and Strabane | 59,000 | 10,000 | 51,000 | 119,000 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 53,000 | * | 37,000 | 92,000 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 62,000 | * | 47,000 | 112,000 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 60,000 | * | 45,000 | 109,000 |
| Mid Ulster | 66,000 | * | 40,000 | 111,000 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 78,000 | * | 46,000 | 129,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 812,000 | 50,000 | 580,000 | 1,441,000 |
* Sample size is too small to provide a reliable estimate (less than a minimum quotation level of 8,000 persons).
Table 2: Labour market status (16+) by Council Area, January – March 2015
| In employment | Unemployed | Economically inactive | Total | |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 68,000 | * | 36,000 | 108,000 |
| Ards and North Down | 74,000 | * | 49,000 | 126,000 |
| Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon | 98,000 | * | 58,000 | 162,000 |
| Belfast | 143,000 | * | 118,000 | 268,000 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 64,000 | 9,000 | 47,000 | 120,000 |
| Derry and Strabane | 56,000 | 9,000 | 54,000 | 120,000 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 55,000 | * | 30,000 | 87,000 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 59,000 | * | 40,000 | 101,000 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 66,000 | * | 37,000 | 108,000 |
| Mid Ulster | 66,000 | * | 39,000 | 110,000 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 80,000 | * | 50,000 | 135,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 831,000 | 54,000 | 558,000 | 1,444,000 |
* Sample size is too small to provide a reliable estimate (less than minimum quotation level of 8,000 persons).
Table 3: Labour market status (16+) by Council Area, April – June 2015
| In employment | Unemployed | Economically inactive | Total | |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 59,000 | * | 45,000 | 108,000 |
| Ards and North Down | 73,000 | * | 47,000 | 123,000 |
| Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon | 101,000 | * | 56,000 | 162,000 |
| Belfast | 135,000 | 11,000 | 128,000 | 273,000 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 66,000 | * | 48,000 | 121,000 |
| Derry and Strabane | 62,000 | * | 44,000 | 113,000 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 56,000 | * | 29,000 | 87,000 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 58,000 | * | 43,000 | 104,000 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 56,000 | * | 50,000 | 108,000 |
| Mid Ulster | 70,000 | * | 38,000 | 112,000 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 78,000 | * | 48,000 | 134,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 815,000 | 55,000 | 576,000 | 1,446,000 |
* Sample size is too small to provide a reliable estimate (less than minimum quotation level of 8,000 persons).
Table 4: Labour market status (16+) by Council Area, July – September 2015
| In employment | Unemployed | Economically inactive | Total | |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 60,000 | * | 45,000 | 109,000 |
| Ards and North Down | 78,000 | * | 40,000 | 121,000 |
| Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon | 97,000 | * | 68,000 | 170,000 |
| Belfast | 143,000 | 11,000 | 116,000 | 269,000 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 59,000 | * | 47,000 | 114,000 |
| Derry and Strabane | 58,000 | 9,000 | 45,000 | 111,000 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 53,000 | * | 37,000 | 91,000 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 65,000 | * | 40,000 | 108,000 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 57,000 | * | 55,000 | 112,000 |
| Mid Ulster | 72,000 | * | 34,000 | 109,000 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 76,000 | * | 49,000 | 132,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 819,000 | 52,000 | 576,000 | 1,447,000 |
* Sample size is too small to provide a reliable estimate (less than minimum quotation level of 8,000 persons).