The Datum Report

Sub-region

Northern Ireland

What we think is happening

Businesses employing 20 to 49 people in Northern Ireland has been rising.

rising · strong confidence · formed 5 October 2026 · how we reached this

Other standing views

Labour market

The job market in Northern Ireland has been getting stronger.

established 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
Businesses employing 20 to 49 people 2026 2,605 +185 in the top 1% of 46

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
26k47k68k2020-01-31: 30k2020-02-29: 30k2020-03-31: 30k2020-04-30: 56k2020-05-31: 64k2020-06-30: 62k2020-07-31: 62k2020-08-31: 62k2020-09-30: 61k2020-10-31: 59k2020-11-30: 59k2020-12-31: 57k2021-01-31: 55k2021-02-28: 58k2021-03-31: 57k2021-04-30: 57k2021-05-31: 54k2021-06-30: 51k2021-07-31: 50k2021-08-31: 49k2021-09-30: 47k2021-10-31: 46k2021-11-30: 43k2021-12-31: 41k2022-01-31: 39k2022-02-28: 39k2022-03-31: 38k2022-04-30: 37k2022-05-31: 36k2022-06-30: 35k2022-07-31: 36k2022-08-31: 36k2022-09-30: 36k2022-10-31: 36k2022-11-30: 35k2022-12-31: 36k2023-01-31: 35k2023-02-28: 35k2023-03-31: 36k2023-04-30: 38k2023-05-31: 35k2023-06-30: 36k2023-07-31: 37k2023-08-31: 37k2023-09-30: 38k2023-10-31: 37k2023-11-30: 36k2023-12-31: 35k2024-01-31: 35k2024-02-29: 36k2024-03-31: 36k2024-04-30: 36k2024-05-31: 36k2024-06-30: 38k2024-07-31: 41k2024-08-31: 42k2024-09-30: 43k2024-10-31: 43k2024-11-30: 41k2024-12-31: 39k2025-01-31: 38k2025-02-28: 40k2025-03-31: 39k2025-04-30: 38k2025-05-31: 36k2025-06-30: 37k2025-07-31: 36k2025-08-31: 37k2025-09-30: 38k2025-10-31: 37k2025-11-30: 36k2025-12-31: 34k2026-01-31: 34k2026-02-28: 35k2026-03-31: 35k2026-04-30: 35k2026-05-31: 33k2026-06-30: 33k2026-07-31: 33k2026-08-31: 34k 2020-01 2026-08
80 monthly readings · 30k to 64k · axis starts at 26k

ONS / DWP, Claimant count by sex and age, published 15 September 2026

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 1
£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

Business 12
Businesses
2026
81,660
65k74k83k2010-03-31: 69k2011-03-31: 68k2012-03-31: 67k2013-03-31: 67k2014-03-31: 67k2015-03-31: 67k2016-03-31: 69k2017-03-31: 71k2018-03-31: 73k2019-03-31: 75k2020-03-31: 75k2021-03-31: 77k2022-03-31: 78k2023-03-31: 78k2024-03-31: 79k2025-03-31: 80k2026-03-31: 82k 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 67k to 82k · axis starts at 65k

ONS, UK Business Counts - enterprises, published 24 September 2026

64,770
49k58k66k2010-03-31: 51k2011-03-31: 52k2012-03-31: 51k2013-03-31: 51k2014-03-31: 51k2015-03-31: 51k2016-03-31: 53k2017-03-31: 54k2018-03-31: 56k2019-03-31: 58k2020-03-31: 59k2021-03-31: 60k2022-03-31: 61k2023-03-31: 61k2024-03-31: 62k2025-03-31: 63k2026-03-31: 65k 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 51k to 65k · axis starts at 49k

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

4,370
3,8674,3224,7782010-03-31: 4,6902011-03-31: 4,0802012-03-31: 4,1552013-03-31: 4,0302014-03-31: 3,9902015-03-31: 3,9552016-03-31: 4,0352017-03-31: 4,2752018-03-31: 4,3202019-03-31: 4,1452020-03-31: 4,1902021-03-31: 4,1902022-03-31: 4,3652023-03-31: 4,3052024-03-31: 4,3652025-03-31: 4,4702026-03-31: 4,370 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 3,955 to 4,690 · axis starts at 3,867

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

440
3283904522010-03-31: 3502011-03-31: 3402012-03-31: 3402013-03-31: 3552014-03-31: 3552015-03-31: 3752016-03-31: 3852017-03-31: 3902018-03-31: 4152019-03-31: 4252020-03-31: 4102021-03-31: 4252022-03-31: 4152023-03-31: 4052024-03-31: 4102025-03-31: 4352026-03-31: 440 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 340 to 440 · axis starts at 328

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

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
1,9052,2922,6802010-03-31: 2,4652011-03-31: 2,1952012-03-31: 1,9802013-03-31: 2,1102014-03-31: 2,0752015-03-31: 2,2502016-03-31: 2,1802017-03-31: 2,4202018-03-31: 2,3052019-03-31: 2,4352020-03-31: 2,3352021-03-31: 2,4502022-03-31: 2,4102023-03-31: 2,5152024-03-31: 2,5602025-03-31: 2,4202026-03-31: 2,605 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 1,980 to 2,605 · axis starts at 1,905

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

125
85.81081292010-03-31: 1002011-03-31: 1052012-03-31: 1152013-03-31: 1152014-03-31: 1152015-03-31: 1052016-03-31: 902017-03-31: 1052018-03-31: 952019-03-31: 952020-03-31: 1002021-03-31: 1102022-03-31: 1052023-03-31: 1152024-03-31: 1202025-03-31: 1202026-03-31: 125 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 90 to 125 · axis starts at 85.8

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

8,440
7,9648,8489,7312010-03-31: 9,5602011-03-31: 8,9102012-03-31: 8,8302013-03-31: 8,4352014-03-31: 8,2552015-03-31: 8,1352016-03-31: 8,1552017-03-31: 8,7002018-03-31: 8,7652019-03-31: 8,2252020-03-31: 8,1952021-03-31: 8,3252022-03-31: 8,5202023-03-31: 8,6202024-03-31: 8,6252025-03-31: 8,4002026-03-31: 8,440 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 8,135 to 9,560 · axis starts at 7,964

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

785
6177108032010-03-31: 6852011-03-31: 6602012-03-31: 6752013-03-31: 6352014-03-31: 6702015-03-31: 6652016-03-31: 6702017-03-31: 7052018-03-31: 7002019-03-31: 7652020-03-31: 7602021-03-31: 7452022-03-31: 7302023-03-31: 7352024-03-31: 7852025-03-31: 7702026-03-31: 785 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 635 to 785 · axis starts at 617

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

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
80k89k99k2010-03-31: 84k2011-03-31: 84k2012-03-31: 83k2013-03-31: 82k2014-03-31: 82k2015-03-31: 82k2016-03-31: 84k2017-03-31: 86k2018-03-31: 88k2019-03-31: 90k2020-03-31: 91k2021-03-31: 92k2022-03-31: 93k2023-03-31: 94k2024-03-31: 94k2025-03-31: 95k2026-03-31: 97k 2010-03 2026-03
17 annual readings · 82k to 97k · axis starts at 80k

ONS, UK Business Counts - local units, published 24 September 2026

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