AQW 50838/11-16 Written question to the Minister of Finance and Personnel
To ask the Minister of Finance and Personnel how changes in the uptake of Employment Support Allowance have impacted the latest figures showing economic activity; and to outline the criteria used to arrive at these figures.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 13 November 2015
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 13 November 2015
- Answer due by
- 30 November 2015
- Answered
- 30 November 201517 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Finance
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Official estimates of economic activity 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.
Estimates of the numbers in receipt of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) cannot be provided from the LFS due to the wide survey margins of error associated with these estimates. It is not therefore possible to calculate how changes in the uptake of Employment Support Allowance have impacted the latest figures showing economic activity.
The official source for Employment Support Allowance statistics is the Department for Social Development (DSD).
For information, Table 1 provides levels of economic activity from the LFS and Table 2 shows ESA estimates sourced from DSD.
Table 1 Economic activity levels (16+), 2010 – 2015
| Year | Quarter | Number of economically active (16+) |
| 2010 | Jan-Mar | 818,000 |
| Apr-Jun | 822,000 | |
| Jul-Sep | 824,000 | |
| Oct-Dec | 831,000 | |
| 2011 | Jan-Mar | 837,000 |
| Apr-Jun | 849,000 | |
| Jul-Sep | 843,000 | |
| Oct-Dec | 844,000 | |
| 2012 | Jan-Mar | 840,000 |
| Apr-Jun | 843,000 | |
| Jul-Sep | 848,000 | |
| Oct-Dec | 844,000 | |
| 2013 | Jan-Mar | 842,000 |
| Apr-Jun | 833,000 | |
| Jul-Sep | 844,000 | |
| Oct-Dec | 849,000 | |
| 2014 | Jan-Mar | 851,000 |
| Apr-Jun | 853,000 | |
| Jul-Sep | 850,000 | |
| Oct-Dec | 839,000 | |
| 2015 | Jan-Mar | 852,000 |
| Apr-Jun | 847,000 | |
| Jul-Sep | 843,000 |
Source: Labour Force Survey
Table 2Employment and Support Allowance levels, 2010 - 2015
| Year | Month | All Claimants | Recipients | Credits Only |
| 2010 | February | 16,760 | 14,560 | 2,200 |
| May | 19,210 | 17,070 | 2,130 | |
| August | 21,170 | 18,500 | 2,680 | |
| November | 23,090 | 20,520 | 2,570 | |
| 2011 | February | 24,700 | 21,870 | 2,840 |
| May | 25,810 | 23,100 | 2,710 | |
| August | 28,130 | 25,500 | 2,640 | |
| November | 32,290 | 29,240 | 3,060 | |
| 2012 | February | 36,280 | 33,020 | 3,260 |
| May | 44,020 | 40,240 | 3,780 | |
| August | 49,830 | 45,990 | 3,840 | |
| November | 57,110 | 53,740 | 3,370 | |
| 2013 | February | 64,100 | 60,400 | 3,700 |
| May | 74,190 | 70,500 | 3,690 | |
| August | 81,340 | 77,610 | 3,730 | |
| November | 90,650 | 86,930 | 3,730 | |
| 2014 | February | 96,340 | 93,060 | 3,280 |
| May | 103,860 | 99,950 | 3,910 | |
| August | 111,670 | 107,190 | 4,480 | |
| November | 113,800 | 109,090 | 4,710 | |
| 2015 | February | 116,430 | 111,730 | 4,690 |
| May | 118,140 | 113,670 | 4,470 |
Source: Department for Social Development