[Northern Ireland] Wage growth and job creation outperform wider UK trend

In Northern Ireland, the rate of job creation and wage growth accelerated during September, The Irish News reports.

According to the latest HMRC figures, the number of PAYE workers in the North increased by 1,737 (0.2 per cent) between August and September, reaching a new all-time high of 814,726.

That reportedly left the official PAYE count up 1 per cent year-on-year, the equivalent of 8,317 new roles created over the past 12 months, making Northern Ireland the only region of the UK to report an increase in PAYE jobs created over the year. 

UK-wide, the 30.3 million payrolled employees in September were down 0.3 per cent over the year.

The figures were published as part of the October labour market report, compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

Separate wage data - sourced from Northern Ireland’s PAYE workforce - revealed that the median monthly earnings had increased by 1.4 per cent (£32) over the month to £2,401 in September 2025. This left the average wage up 6.9 per cent (£154) over the year.

That growth reportedly contrasted with the broader UK trend, where the median monthly pay decreased by 0.9 per cent (£22) over the month to £2,546.

Annual wage growth in the UK increased by 5.5 per cent (£133) in the 12 months to September.

Nisra’s October labour market report also contained the latest estimates of the North’s unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate is based on household surveys and relates to the estimated average over the three months to August. PAYE data is sourced from HMRC and is more up-to-date

The research agency estimates that Northern Ireland’s unemployment rate increased slightly over the summer to 2.6 per cent. The corresponding employment rate dipped to 71.2 per cent.

Nisra reportedly estimates that there were 110,000 self-employed people in the North over the summer, a decrease of 10,000 (8.2 per cent) over the year.

The Department for the Economy was notified of 100 confirmed redundancies in September, with a further 240 redundancies proposed last month. Employers are only required to notify Stormont when cutting at least 20 roles.

Source: The Irish News

(Link via original reporting)

In Northern Ireland, the rate of job creation and wage growth accelerated during September, The Irish News reports.

According to the latest HMRC figures, the number of PAYE workers in the North increased by 1,737 (0.2 per cent) between August and September, reaching a new all-time high of 814,726.

That reportedly left the official PAYE count up 1 per cent year-on-year, the equivalent of 8,317 new roles created over the past 12 months, making Northern Ireland the only region of the UK to report an increase in PAYE jobs created over the year. 

UK-wide, the 30.3 million payrolled employees in September were down 0.3 per cent over the year.

The figures were published as part of the October labour market report, compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

Separate wage data - sourced from Northern Ireland’s PAYE workforce - revealed that the median monthly earnings had increased by 1.4 per cent (£32) over the month to £2,401 in September 2025. This left the average wage up 6.9 per cent (£154) over the year.

That growth reportedly contrasted with the broader UK trend, where the median monthly pay decreased by 0.9 per cent (£22) over the month to £2,546.

Annual wage growth in the UK increased by 5.5 per cent (£133) in the 12 months to September.

Nisra’s October labour market report also contained the latest estimates of the North’s unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate is based on household surveys and relates to the estimated average over the three months to August. PAYE data is sourced from HMRC and is more up-to-date

The research agency estimates that Northern Ireland’s unemployment rate increased slightly over the summer to 2.6 per cent. The corresponding employment rate dipped to 71.2 per cent.

Nisra reportedly estimates that there were 110,000 self-employed people in the North over the summer, a decrease of 10,000 (8.2 per cent) over the year.

The Department for the Economy was notified of 100 confirmed redundancies in September, with a further 240 redundancies proposed last month. Employers are only required to notify Stormont when cutting at least 20 roles.

Source: The Irish News

(Link via original reporting)