Northern Ireland’s job market has continued to defy the odds and is nearly back to its pre-pandemic heyday.
That is the thrust of the latest jobs market report from the Department for the Economy which showed the unemployment rate stood at 2.5% of the working age population, just 0.1% above the level it reached in the first quarter of 2020. Meanwhile, the total number of pay rolled employee numbers have continued to climb while earnings have increased and the economic activity rate has also fallen.
The strength of the job market continues to surprise commentators who had expected companies to reduce their hiring levels in light of recent inflationary pressures and growing concerns around the health of the wider economy.
