Northern Ireland’s labour market remained broadly flat in June, with modest growth in payrolled employment and earnings alongside largely unchanged headline indicators in the latest Labour Force Survey.
The number of employees receiving pay through HMRC PAYE stood at 820,800, unchanged over the month and 1.4% higher than a year earlier.
And median monthly pay rose to £2,480, up £21 (or 0.9%) over the month and £115 (or 4.9%) annually.
The latest data showed small quarterly and annual movements, but none statistically significant.
The unemployment rate fell to 1.8% for the March-May quarter, down 0.4% over the quarter and 0.2% in the year.
The employment rate for those aged 16-64 increased to 72.1%, up 0.8% quarterly and 0.1% annually, with total employment estimated at 901,000.
Total weekly hours worked reached 29.5 million, a 3.1% quarterly rise but 2.3% below the same period last year.
The economic inactivity rate edged down 0.5 points over the quarter to 26.5%, though it remains slightly higher than a year ago.
The claimant count continued to stabilise, falling 1.8% in June to 33,800, representing 3.3% of the workforce. However, claimant numbers remain 13% above pre‑pandemic levels.
Redundancy activity also eased. Confirmed redundancies totalled 1,670 in the year to June 2026, a 23% decrease on the previous year, while proposed redundancies fell 5% to 2,860.
Jonathan Simpson, employment expert and director in the employment team at DWF in Belfast, said that despite the figures pointing to a relatively stable picture within the north’s labour market, conditions have remained broadly resilient.
He said: “Earnings data suggests that pay growth in Northern Ireland remains steady, and while this will be welcome news for many workers, employers are likely to remain focused on balancing pay expectations with increasing employment costs and broader workforce planning priorities.”
On the employment and jobless numbers he added: “Taken together, the data points to continued positive momentum in the labour market, although employers are likely to remain focused on sustaining workforce growth while managing ongoing cost and productivity pressures.
Jonathan Simpson, employment expert and director in the employment team at DWF in Belfast
“The extent to which this momentum is sustained is likely to depend on the wider economic backdrop.”
Mr Simpson said that the appointment of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister is unlikely to have an immediate impact on Northern Ireland’s employment law landscape, but cautioned that “it may introduce a degree of uncertainty as businesses assess whether broader UK policy priorities and economic strategy are likely to shift in the months ahead.”