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  • Economy Minister welcomes research into skills and employment to shape Good Jobs policy for the future

    Topics:
    • Further education, 
    • Employment rights, 
    • Employment and skills programmes (including apprenticeships)

    Date published: 5 December 2025

    The Department for the Economy has published the findings of the Northern Ireland Skills and Employment Survey 2024, which examines work quality and provides a comprehensive snapshot of working life for employees across Northern Ireland.

    Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured at Adelaide House, Belfast, with, from left, Professor Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies, both from Cardiff University, who presented the results from the survey, along with Professor John Geary from University College Dublin, who is leading the Working In Ireland study .
    Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald with, from left, Professor Alan Felstead and Rhys Davies, both from Cardiff University, who presented the results from the survey, along with Professor John Geary from University College Dublin.

    The Skills and Employment Survey 2024 is a UK-wide survey of individuals in employment aged 20-65 years old.

    It is the eighth in a series of nationally representative sample surveys of individuals which collects detailed information about the jobs respondents hold.  This includes: the skills they use; whether they feel that their jobs are valuable to society; what level of autonomy they can exercise at work; whether they have flexible hours; what training they are given; how the job makes them feel; and where they work.

    Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald welcomed the report and said: 

    “The survey provides valuable insights into skills and employment issues and so informs my Good Jobs agenda. This involves higher pay; contractual security; better work-life balance; improved employee voice and representation in the workplace.

    “The results will provide a crucial step in building the evidence base that will guide and influence future decisions on skills and employment policy across the north, to ensure our workforce is equipped for the challenges ahead.”

    Notes to editors:

    1. The Skills and Employment Survey Northern Ireland (www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/going-beyond-pay-job-quality-northern-ireland)was listed as a project to be delivered under the DfE Research Programme 2024-27, published in July 2024.

    2. Headline results from the survey for the UK were published on 2nd April 2025.

    3. For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office at pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk

    4. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

    5. To keep up to date with news from the Department for the Economy, you can follow them on the following social media channels:

    • X – @Economy_NI
    • Facebook – @DeptEconomyNI
    • Instagram – economy_ni
    • LinkedIn – Department for the Economy NI

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