Labour Market Report April 2021

The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates relate to December-February 2021 and indicate that, over the quarter, the employment rate decreased, and the unemployment and economic inactivity rates increased.

• The number of people on the NI claimant count (experimental) decreased marginally over the month to 58,100 in March 2021. The experimental Claimant Count includes Jobseeker’s Allowance Claimants and those claimants of Universal Credit who were claiming principally for the reason of being unemployed.
• From 1^st April 2020 to 31^st March 2021, 10,090 redundancies were proposed, more than double the previous 12 months. 170 redundancies were proposed in the three-month period January to March 2021. The department was notified of 250 confirmed redundancies in March 2021, taking the annual total to 5,780.
• The number of employees receiving pay through HMRC PAYE in NI in February 2021 was 744,300, an increase of 0.2% over the month and a decrease of 1.2% over the year. The flash estimate for March 2021 shows a marginal decrease of less than 0.1% on February’s figure to 744,100.
• Earnings from the HMRC PAYE indicated that NI employees had a median monthly pay of £1,780 in February 2021, an increase of 0.1% over the month and 4.7% over the year. The flash estimate for March 2021 shows a further 0.7% increase in earnings from February’s figure to £1,792.
• The NI unemployment rate (16+) increased over the quarter (0.5pps) and the year (1.2pps) to 3.7% in December-February 2021. The annual change was statistically significant and is likely to reflect real change. The NI unemployment rate was below the UK rate (4.9%).
• The proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in work (the employment rate) decreased over the quarter (1.6pps) and the year (3.5pps) to 69.0%. The annual change was statistically significant and is likely to reflect real change. The latest employment rate recorded for the whole of the UK was 75.1%.
• The NI economic inactivity rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were not working and not seeking or available to work) increased over the quarter (1.3pps) and the year (2.7pps) to 28.3%. The annual change was statistically significant and is likely to reflect real change. The NI economic inactivity rate remained above the UK rate (20.9%).
• The statistical bulletin and associated tables are available on the Labour Market Report - April 2021 page.

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