Minister outlines actions to boost productivity
Date published:
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has said that her Department’s comprehensive policy agenda will help increase productivity.
The Minister was speaking at a Productivity Conference hosted by the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum at Queen’s Business School, in conjunction with the Department for the Economy.
The Minister said: “We have developed Action Plans to grow our most productive sectors of the economy. We are driving export growth by helping companies utilise dual market access, and by diversifying our international markets.
“We have a number of skills Action Plans, and I am seeking additional funding to invest in Further and Higher Education. We are embracing AI as a way to drive productivity growth.
“And we are trying to create a more collaborative relationship between employers and trade unions, in which they work together to improve company productivity and create better jobs.”
Last week NISRA published new research which found that output per job in the non-financial business economy went up almost 30% in real terms between 2018 and 2023. In addition, the latest productivity statistics from the ONS show our output per hour worked continues to improve, with the gap with Britain narrowing from 20% in 2010 to 12% in 2023.
The Minister said: “I welcome these latest research findings. We have long lagged behind Britain, and particularly the south of Ireland, on this fundamental driver of living standards. But the trajectory appears to be positive.”
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption: Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured with Professor M.N. Ravishankar, Dean and Head of Queen’s Business School; Dr David Jordan, Northern Ireland Productivity Forum Lead; Dame Rotha Johnston DBE Northern Ireland Productivity Forum Chair; and Sir Ian Greer, QUB Vice-Chancellor.
- The NISRA research which outlines the first industry level estimates of productivity since 2021 can be found at Statistical Research Paper (April 2026) – Development of Labour Productivity Statistics, NISRA
- This work forms part of the Productivity Statistics Development Project, funded by the Department, and represents an important step towards more timely and detailed productivity data for the north.
- The event, attended by stakeholders from across government, academia and industry, showcased some of the latest research on productivity and included a discussion with panellists from across policy, delivery partners, business, and trade unions.
- The conference also examined emerging drivers of productivity, including AI and job quality. Delegates heard about the establishment of a new AI Advisory Panel, bringing together experts from industry, academia and government to support a responsible and inclusive approach to AI adoption. The forthcoming All‑Island Working in Ireland Survey, also funded by the Department, will provide new evidence on pay, security, flexibility and meaningful work to inform future Good Jobs policy.
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