GeraJobs / Gera Employment Index / Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland — Employment & Unemployment Rate
Northern Ireland's labour market in real ONS figures, ranked #7 of 12 UK regions by the Gera Employment Index (98.9, UK = 100).
What is the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland, and how does it compare to the UK?
As of December 2025 to February 2026 (ONS, published 21 April 2026), Northern Ireland has an employment rate of 71.2%, an unemployment rate of 2.2% and an economic inactivity rate of 27.2% — a Gera Employment Index of 98.9 (UK = 100), below the UK. Real ONS rates under OGL v3.0; GeraJobs re-dates monthly.
Gera Employment Index
Northern Ireland's labour-market health vs the UK (rank #7 of 12). Below the UK average.
How this is calculatedNorthern Ireland labour-market indicators vs the UK
| Indicator | Northern Ireland | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (16–64) | 71.2% | 75.0% | −3.8pp |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.2% | 4.9% | −2.7pp |
| Economic inactivity (16–64) | 27.2% | 21.0% | +6.2pp |
ONS, seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026. Gera Employment Index = 100 + employment surplus (−3.8pp) − unemployment gap (−2.7pp).
Compare any UK region's labour market
Pick a region to see its real ONS employment, unemployment and economic inactivity rates against the UK average, with its Gera Employment Index.
| Indicator | Northern Ireland | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (16–64) | 71.2% | 75.0% | −3.8pp |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.2% | 4.9% | −2.7pp |
| Economic inactivity (16–64) | 27.2% | 21.0% | +6.2pp |
The Gera Employment Index for Northern Ireland is 98.9 (UK = 100) — a weaker-than-UK labour market. That is 100 −3.8pp employment surplus minus −2.7pp unemployment gap.
Browse live jobs in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland labour market — FAQ
- What is the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland?
- The unemployment rate in Northern Ireland is 2.2% (aged 16+, seasonally adjusted), compared to the UK average of 4.9% — a gap of −2.7pp. This is a real ONS figure for December 2025 to February 2026, not an estimate.
- What is the employment rate in Northern Ireland?
- The employment rate in Northern Ireland is 71.2% (aged 16–64, seasonally adjusted), against a UK average of 75.0% — −3.8pp versus the UK. The economic inactivity rate is 27.2%.
- What is the Gera Employment Index for Northern Ireland?
- The Gera Employment Index for Northern Ireland is 98.9 (UK = 100), meaning its labour market is below the UK. It is computed as 100 plus the employment surplus (−3.8pp) minus the unemployment gap (−2.7pp), both real ONS percentage points.
- Is the Northern Ireland labour-market figure real ONS data?
- Yes. The Northern Ireland rates are taken directly from the ONS "Labour market in the regions of the UK: April 2026" bulletin (Table 1, seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026, OGL v3.0). No figure is modelled or interpolated.
How the Gera Employment Index is calculated
The index starts at 100 (the UK average), adds Northern Ireland's employment-rate advantage over the UK (−3.8pp) and subtracts its unemployment-rate disadvantage (−2.7pp), giving 98.9 (UK = 100). Every input is a real published ONS estimate (Table 1 — headline Labour Force Survey indicators (seasonally adjusted), December 2025 to February 2026); nothing is modelled or interpolated. See all UK regions ranked.
Get Northern Ireland labour-market updates
ONS publishes regional labour-market figures monthly. Save your email and we’ll send the refreshed figures for this region when ONS releases new data.
Related on GeraJobs
Source: ONS Labour market in the regions of the UK: April 2026, Table 1 — headline Labour Force Survey indicators (seasonally adjusted). Figures are seasonally adjusted, December 2025 to February 2026 reference period, released 21 April 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The Gera Employment Index is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.