Work Quality in Northern Ireland Statistics

A range of work quality statistics were published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and key points are listed below.

Further Education Outcomes Report

Vast majority of employees in secure employment

• In 2019/20, 96 per cent of employees were in secure employment, which comprises permanent employees and those in a temporary job who did not want a permanent job.

• Based on the International Labour Organisation definitions, 84 per cent of employees were neither over nor under employed. 9 per cent of employees were estimated to be overemployed and 7 per cent were underemployed.

Majority of employees do meaningful work and are satisfied with their job

• Almost four in five employees (79 per cent) reported a job satisfaction rating of satisfied or better and more than four in five employees (86 per cent) were in agreement that they performed meaningful work.

• A small percentage of employees (7 per cent) reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their main job, and 5 per cent reported that they disagreed or strongly disagreed that they perform meaningful work.

Opportunities for career progression and employee involvement in decision making

• Approximately half of all employees (53 per cent) aged over 18 were in agreement that their job offers good opportunities for career progression while 26 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed.

• Similarly approximately half of all employees (52 per cent) responded that managers were good (or very good) at involving them and their representatives in decision making in their workplace, and almost 1 in 4 employees (23 per cent) reported that management were poor (or very poor) at involving them in decision making.

Commentary

Analysis of six work quality indicators from the Labour Force Survey show that in 2019/20 the vast majority of employees were in secure employment (96 per cent), working adequate hours (84 per cent), were satisfied with their job (79 per cent), and agreed that their work was meaningful (86 per cent).

Responses to questions on opportunities for career progression and employee involvement in decision making were less positive than for the other work quality indicators. Approximately half of employees in 2019/20 agreed or strongly agreed that their job offered good opportunities for career progression (53 per cent), and that managers were good at involving them or their representatives in decision making (52 per cent), while approximately a quarter indicated that career progression or involvement in decision making was poor.

Notes to editors: 

1. The statistical bulletin and associated tables are available on the NISRA website.

2. Analysis is based on employees aged 18 or over between July 2019 and June 2020 (referred to as 2019/20).

3. This release provides an overview of six work quality indicators sourced from the Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey (LFS) including the first release of three work quality indicators; meaningful work, career progression and involvement in decision making. These are also presented alongside updates to job security, work quantity and job satisfaction.

4. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency wishes to thank the participating households for taking part in the Labour Force Survey.

5. The overemployed are defined as persons in employment who would like to work fewer hours and would accept less pay for shorter hours, either in a different job or in their current job. Underemployed workers are those people in employment who would like to work more hours, either by working in an additional job, by working more hours in their current job, or by switching to a replacement job. They must also be available to start working longer hours within two weeks and their current weekly hours must be below 40 hours if they are between 16 and 18 and below 48 hours if they are over 18.

6. The Work Quality in Northern Ireland report will be of interest to policy makers, public bodies, the business community, banks, economic commentators, academics and the general public with an interest in the local economy.

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

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

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10. Feedback is welcomed and should be addressed to the responsible statistician: Jennifer McLoughlin, Economic & Labour Market Statistics Branch (ELMS), jennifer.mcloughlin@nisra.gov.uk or Tel: 028 905 29228.

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