The Northern Ireland Business Register and Employment Survey 2024
(BRES) statistics were released this morning by NISRA.
The bulletin and tables can be accessed on the NISRA website
at https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/annual-employee-jobs-surveys/business-register-and-employment-survey
BRES is an annual statutory survey of businesses requesting
information on working owners, employee jobs and business
activity.
BRES represents the number of employee jobs rather than the
number of persons with a job. As a result, a person holding
both a full-time job and a part-time job, or someone with two
part-time jobs, will be counted twice.
Key points
Key points from the 2024 Business Register and Employment Survey
bulletin are listed below.
Employee jobs increased by 1.4% over the year to
September 2024
- The total number of employee jobs in Northern Ireland,
including Agriculture, in September 2024 was estimated at 827,815
jobs, an increase of 11,253 jobs (1.4%) since September 2023.
Employee jobs increased in three of the four headline
industries
- The increase in employee jobs was mainly driven by growth
across the Services industry, which rose by 9,525 jobs
(1.4%). The Construction industry increased by 2,040 jobs
(5.5%) over the year to September 2024, following a decrease of
just under 1,000 in the previous 12-month period. There was
further job growth in Manufacturing (932 jobs or 1.0%).
- The number of jobs in other industries, including
Agriculture, fell by 1,245 (4.9%) over the year to September
2024.
Employee jobs increased in all but one of eleven
LGDs
- Of the 11 local government districts in Northern Ireland,
only Antrim & Newtownabbey (891 jobs or -1.5%) saw a decline
in the number of employee jobs over the year to September 2024.
- Belfast saw the largest absolute increase in jobs (3,116)
which accounted for just under 30% of total growth. The
largest percentage increase over the same period was witnessed in
Lisburn & Castlereagh (3.0%).
Notes to editors:
- The BRES data are disaggregated at sub-Northern Ireland
geographical levels. The geographical information is, for
the most part, based on the location of the jobs at a local unit
level. Businesses often relocate employee jobs from one
area to another. This causes changes in employee job counts
at geographical levels. The relocation or change of
reporting procedures by large employers can therefore affect BRES
sub-NI analysis when making annual comparisons.
- Feedback is welcomed and should be addressed to: Responsible
statistician: Matthew Williams, Economic & Labour Market
Statistics Branch (ELMS), matthew.williams@nisra.gov.uk or
Tel: 028 90336111.
