Commenting on the publication of Quarterly Employment Survey results published today (13 June 2023) by NISRA, Christopher Morrow, Acting Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) said:
“While it is good to see that workforce jobs have returned to pre-pandemic levels, Northern Ireland’s labour market continues to be incredibly tight. The cumulative impact of inflationary pressures, and an acute shortage of both people and skills is sustaining a challenging business environment that demands action on migration policy, and tackling the skills deficit and economic inactivity.
“It is welcome to see the headline rate of economic inactivity decrease, but the fact the number of people off due to long-term sickness continues to grow should serve as a timely reminder that our struggling health service is having a material impact on the wider economy. It simply underlines the need for a functioning, sustainably funded Executive to be re-established to drive transformation of our health service without further delay.”
