The Datum Report

ITL1 region

Northern Ireland

What we think is happening

Typical monthly pay in Northern Ireland has been rising, though other measures here have run the other way.

mixed · tentative confidence · formed 5 October 2026 · how we reached this

Other standing views

Labour market

The job market in Northern Ireland has been going both ways.

tentative confidence · how we reached this

What is distinctive here

These moved unusually against comparable areas, and did not simply move with them. A change shared with everywhere else is a fact about the country, not this place.

MeasurePeriodValueChangeAgainst peers
Claimant count August 2026 34,155 +1,270 in the top 1% of 12

By subject

Every figure published for Northern Ireland. Open a subject to see them, each with its history and its source. Where a producer splits the area into many categories, those sit behind a further disclosure.

Labour market 2
Claimant count
August 2026
34,155
33k34k35k2026-01-31: 34k2026-02-28: 35k2026-03-31: 35k2026-04-30: 35k2026-05-31: 33k2026-06-30: 33k2026-07-31: 33k2026-08-31: 34k 2026-01 2026-08
8 monthly readings · 33k to 35k · axis starts at 33k

ONS / DWP, Claimant count by sex and age, published 15 September 2026
72 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

2.9%
2.82.82.92026-01-31: 2.92026-02-28: 2.92026-03-31: 2.92026-04-30: 2.92026-05-31: 2.82026-06-30: 2.82026-07-31: 2.82026-08-31: 2.9 2026-01 2026-08
8 monthly readings · 2.8 to 2.9 · axis starts at 2.8

ONS / DWP, Claimant count by sex and age, published 15 September 2026
72 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

Pay 3
£22,258
6,97615k24k1997-12-31: 8,6131998-12-31: 8,6331999-12-31: 8,9562000-12-31: 9,4272001-12-31: 9,7402002-12-31: 10k2003-12-31: 11k2004-12-31: 11k2005-12-31: 12k2006-12-31: 13k2007-12-31: 13k2008-12-31: 13k2009-12-31: 13k2010-12-31: 13k2011-12-31: 14k2012-12-31: 14k2013-12-31: 14k2014-12-31: 15k2015-12-31: 15k2016-12-31: 15k2017-12-31: 16k2018-12-31: 16k2019-12-31: 17k2020-12-31: 17k2021-12-31: 18k2022-12-31: 19k2023-12-31: 21k2024-12-31: 22k 1997-12 2024-12
28 annual readings · 8,613 to 22k · axis starts at 6,976

ONS, Gross disposable household income per head

Median pay
Jul 2026
£2,513
1,5602,0882,6152020-01-31: 1,6842020-02-29: 1,6962020-03-31: 1,7372020-04-30: 1,6622020-05-31: 1,6722020-06-30: 1,7182020-07-31: 1,7502020-08-31: 1,7392020-09-30: 1,7632020-10-31: 1,7772020-11-30: 1,7862020-12-31: 1,8222021-01-31: 1,7652021-02-28: 1,7752021-03-31: 1,7902021-04-30: 1,8182021-05-31: 1,8112021-06-30: 1,8352021-07-31: 1,8872021-08-31: 1,8142021-09-30: 1,8422021-10-31: 1,8532021-11-30: 1,8642021-12-31: 1,9442022-01-31: 1,9132022-02-28: 1,8952022-03-31: 1,9232022-04-30: 1,9392022-05-31: 1,9452022-06-30: 1,9562022-07-31: 1,9612022-08-31: 1,9642022-09-30: 1,9592022-10-31: 1,9752022-11-30: 2,0212022-12-31: 2,0552023-01-31: 2,0162023-02-28: 2,0302023-03-31: 2,1072023-04-30: 2,0622023-05-31: 2,0762023-06-30: 2,0982023-07-31: 2,0922023-08-31: 2,0852023-09-30: 2,0872023-10-31: 2,0972023-11-30: 2,1382023-12-31: 2,1852024-01-31: 2,1082024-02-29: 2,1302024-03-31: 2,1612024-04-30: 2,2002024-05-31: 2,2432024-06-30: 2,3392024-07-31: 2,2502024-08-31: 2,3032024-09-30: 2,2352024-10-31: 2,2612024-11-30: 2,3052024-12-31: 2,3262025-01-31: 2,2672025-02-28: 2,2832025-03-31: 2,4122025-04-30: 2,4062025-05-31: 2,3872025-06-30: 2,3692025-07-31: 2,3792025-08-31: 2,3622025-09-30: 2,3982025-10-31: 2,3972025-11-30: 2,4112025-12-31: 2,4482026-01-31: 2,4012026-02-28: 2,4732026-03-31: 2,4442026-04-30: 2,4752026-05-31: 2,4792026-06-30: 2,4902026-07-31: 2,513 2020-01 2026-07
79 monthly readings · 1,662 to 2,513 · axis starts at 1,560

ONS, Earnings and employment from PAYE Real Time Information, published 22 August 2026 (approximate)

819,681
727k779k832k2020-01-31: 750k2020-02-29: 751k2020-03-31: 751k2020-04-30: 741k2020-05-31: 741k2020-06-30: 744k2020-07-31: 742k2020-08-31: 737k2020-09-30: 738k2020-10-31: 738k2020-11-30: 740k2020-12-31: 737k2021-01-31: 737k2021-02-28: 737k2021-03-31: 738k2021-04-30: 740k2021-05-31: 747k2021-06-30: 758k2021-07-31: 761k2021-08-31: 759k2021-09-30: 761k2021-10-31: 763k2021-11-30: 770k2021-12-31: 769k2022-01-31: 768k2022-02-28: 768k2022-03-31: 771k2022-04-30: 773k2022-05-31: 775k2022-06-30: 779k2022-07-31: 777k2022-08-31: 779k2022-09-30: 779k2022-10-31: 781k2022-11-30: 786k2022-12-31: 785k2023-01-31: 782k2023-02-28: 783k2023-03-31: 786k2023-04-30: 788k2023-05-31: 788k2023-06-30: 793k2023-07-31: 790k2023-08-31: 791k2023-09-30: 794k2023-10-31: 798k2023-11-30: 802k2023-12-31: 800k2024-01-31: 796k2024-02-29: 797k2024-03-31: 798k2024-04-30: 801k2024-05-31: 804k2024-06-30: 811k2024-07-31: 807k2024-08-31: 807k2024-09-30: 807k2024-10-31: 809k2024-11-30: 812k2024-12-31: 808k2025-01-31: 806k2025-02-28: 806k2025-03-31: 808k2025-04-30: 809k2025-05-31: 810k2025-06-30: 812k2025-07-31: 811k2025-08-31: 811k2025-09-30: 813k2025-10-31: 816k2025-11-30: 819k2025-12-31: 816k2026-01-31: 815k2026-02-28: 815k2026-03-31: 815k2026-04-30: 818k2026-05-31: 819k2026-06-30: 822k2026-07-31: 820k 2020-01 2026-07
79 monthly readings · 737k to 822k · axis starts at 727k

ONS, Earnings and employment from PAYE Real Time Information, published 22 August 2026 (approximate)

Business 12
Businesses
2026
81,660
80k81k82k2025-03-31: 80k2026-03-31: 82k 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 80k to 82k · axis starts at 80k

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

64,770
63k64k65k2025-03-31: 63k2026-03-31: 65k 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 63k to 65k · axis starts at 63k

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

4,370
4,3584,4204,4822025-03-31: 4,4702026-03-31: 4,370 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 4,370 to 4,470 · axis starts at 4,358

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

440
4344384412025-03-31: 4352026-03-31: 440 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 435 to 440 · axis starts at 434

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

50
32.64557.42010-03-31: 502011-03-31: 502012-03-31: 452013-03-31: 502014-03-31: 352015-03-31: 452016-03-31: 402017-03-31: 402018-03-31: 452019-03-31: 452020-03-31: 552021-03-31: 502022-03-31: 552023-03-31: 452024-03-31: 452025-03-31: 502026-03-31: 50 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 35 to 55 · axis starts at 32.6

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026

2,605
2,3982,5122,6272025-03-31: 2,4202026-03-31: 2,605 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 2,420 to 2,605 · axis starts at 2,398

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

125
1191221262025-03-31: 1202026-03-31: 125 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 120 to 125 · axis starts at 119

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

8,440
8,3958,4208,4452025-03-31: 8,4002026-03-31: 8,440 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 8,400 to 8,440 · axis starts at 8,395

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

785
7687787872025-03-31: 7702026-03-31: 785 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 770 to 785 · axis starts at 768

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

80
29.657.585.42010-03-31: 502011-03-31: 402012-03-31: 352013-03-31: 452014-03-31: 502015-03-31: 452016-03-31: 552017-03-31: 502018-03-31: 652019-03-31: 752020-03-31: 652021-03-31: 752022-03-31: 702023-03-31: 702024-03-31: 702025-03-31: 802026-03-31: 80 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 35 to 80 · axis starts at 29.6

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises by size band, published 24 September 2026

96,935
95k96k97k2025-03-31: 95k2026-03-31: 97k 2025-03 2026-03
2 annual readings · 95k to 97k · axis starts at 95k

ONS, UK Business Counts - local units, published 24 September 2026
15 earlier periods withheld by the producer and absent from the chart.

56,141
15k38k61k1998-12-31: 20k1999-12-31: 21k2000-12-31: 22k2001-12-31: 23k2002-12-31: 24k2003-12-31: 26k2004-12-31: 27k2005-12-31: 29k2006-12-31: 30k2007-12-31: 32k2008-12-31: 32k2009-12-31: 31k2010-12-31: 31k2011-12-31: 32k2012-12-31: 33k2013-12-31: 34k2014-12-31: 35k2015-12-31: 36k2016-12-31: 39k2017-12-31: 40k2018-12-31: 41k2019-12-31: 44k2020-12-31: 42k2021-12-31: 47k2022-12-31: 51k2023-12-31: 56k 1998-12 2023-12
26 annual readings · 20k to 56k · axis starts at 15k

ONS, Gross value added, published 16 October 2025

Local authorities in Northern Ireland

Antrim and Newtownabbey · Ards and North Down · Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon · Belfast · Causeway Coast and Glens · Derry City and Strabane · Fermanagh and Omagh · Lisburn and Castlereagh · Mid Ulster · Mid and East Antrim · Newry, Mourne and Down