AQW 50802/11-16


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 12/11/2015
Answered On Date: 27/11/2015
Priority Written: No


Question:
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.


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).