Unemployment rate in Northern Ireland

Unemployment rate in Northern Ireland was 2% in Q2 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom). That is down 0.4 pts from Q2 2025.

Q2 20262%
Change on Q2 2025-0.4 pts
Series high12.8Q2 1993
Series low1.6Q1 2025

Unemployment rate in Northern Ireland, Q2 1992 to Q2 2026

02.557.51012.5151992-Q21997-Q22002-Q22007-Q22012-Q22017-Q22022-Q22026-Q21992-Q2: 12.4 %1992-Q3: 12.3 %1992-Q4: 12.3 %1993-Q1: 12.6 %1993-Q2: 12.8 %1993-Q3: 12.3 %1993-Q4: 12.2 %1994-Q1: 12.1 %1994-Q2: 11.9 %1994-Q3: 11.5 %1994-Q4: 11.3 %1995-Q1: 11.2 %1995-Q2: 10.9 %1995-Q3: 10.2 %1995-Q4: 10 %1996-Q1: 9.1 %1996-Q2: 10.6 %1996-Q3: 9.9 %1996-Q4: 9.3 %1997-Q1: 8.7 %1997-Q2: 8.1 %1997-Q3: 8.6 %1997-Q4: 8.8 %1998-Q1: 8.5 %1998-Q2: 7 %1998-Q3: 7.9 %1998-Q4: 6.8 %1999-Q1: 7.2 %1999-Q2: 7.6 %1999-Q3: 7.1 %1999-Q4: 6.6 %2000-Q1: 6.6 %2000-Q2: 6.7 %2000-Q3: 5.5 %2000-Q4: 6 %2001-Q1: 6.3 %2001-Q2: 6 %2001-Q3: 6 %2001-Q4: 5.8 %2002-Q1: 6.2 %2002-Q2: 5.5 %2002-Q3: 6.2 %2002-Q4: 5.6 %2003-Q1: 5.3 %2003-Q2: 5.1 %2003-Q3: 5.6 %2003-Q4: 6.3 %2004-Q1: 5.2 %2004-Q2: 5 %2004-Q3: 5.1 %2004-Q4: 4.7 %2005-Q1: 4.7 %2005-Q2: 4.9 %2005-Q3: 4.3 %2005-Q4: 4.6 %2006-Q1: 4.2 %2006-Q2: 4.2 %2006-Q3: 4.8 %2006-Q4: 4.3 %2007-Q1: 4.1 %2007-Q2: 3.6 %2007-Q3: 3.9 %2007-Q4: 4.2 %2008-Q1: 4.5 %2008-Q2: 3.9 %2008-Q3: 4.1 %2008-Q4: 5.2 %2009-Q1: 6.2 %2009-Q2: 6.5 %2009-Q3: 7 %2009-Q4: 5.9 %2010-Q1: 6.9 %2010-Q2: 6.6 %2010-Q3: 6.9 %2010-Q4: 7.9 %2011-Q1: 7.3 %2011-Q2: 7.3 %2011-Q3: 7.3 %2011-Q4: 7 %2012-Q1: 6.7 %2012-Q2: 7.7 %2012-Q3: 7.7 %2012-Q4: 7.6 %2013-Q1: 8 %2013-Q2: 7.3 %2013-Q3: 7.4 %2013-Q4: 7.3 %2014-Q1: 7.1 %2014-Q2: 6.5 %2014-Q3: 6.2 %2014-Q4: 5.8 %2015-Q1: 6.2 %2015-Q2: 6.3 %2015-Q3: 6 %2015-Q4: 5.9 %2016-Q1: 6.1 %2016-Q2: 5.8 %2016-Q3: 5.6 %2016-Q4: 5.4 %2017-Q1: 5.3 %2017-Q2: 5.1 %2017-Q3: 4 %2017-Q4: 4.1 %2018-Q1: 3 %2018-Q2: 3.7 %2018-Q3: 3.8 %2018-Q4: 3.8 %2019-Q1: 2.9 %2019-Q2: 3 %2019-Q3: 2.5 %2019-Q4: 2.4 %2020-Q1: 2.6 %2020-Q2: 2.9 %2020-Q3: 3.6 %2020-Q4: 3.9 %2021-Q1: 3.9 %2021-Q2: 4.2 %2021-Q3: 4.3 %2021-Q4: 3.2 %2022-Q1: 2.7 %2022-Q2: 2.7 %2022-Q3: 3 %2022-Q4: 2.4 %2023-Q1: 2.4 %2023-Q2: 2.4 %2023-Q3: 1.9 %2023-Q4: 2.4 %2024-Q1: 2.1 %2024-Q2: 1.7 %2024-Q3: 1.7 %2024-Q4: 1.7 %2025-Q1: 1.6 %2025-Q2: 2.4 %2025-Q3: 2.3 %2025-Q4: 2.2 %2026-Q1: 2.1 %2026-Q2: 2 %
%. Source: Office for National Statistics, Labour Force Survey, national and regional headline indicators (seasonally adjusted): unemployment rate, aged 16 and over, both sexes (ONS, Nomis NM_59_1). Retrieved 2026-10-11, published 2026-09-15.
All 137 values
Period%
2026-Q22
2026-Q12.1
2025-Q42.2
2025-Q32.3
2025-Q22.4
2025-Q11.6
2024-Q41.7
2024-Q31.7
2024-Q21.7
2024-Q12.1
2023-Q42.4
2023-Q31.9
2023-Q22.4
2023-Q12.4
2022-Q42.4
2022-Q33
2022-Q22.7
2022-Q12.7
2021-Q43.2
2021-Q34.3
2021-Q24.2
2021-Q13.9
2020-Q43.9
2020-Q33.6
2020-Q22.9
2020-Q12.6
2019-Q42.4
2019-Q32.5
2019-Q23
2019-Q12.9
2018-Q43.8
2018-Q33.8
2018-Q23.7
2018-Q13
2017-Q44.1
2017-Q34
2017-Q25.1
2017-Q15.3
2016-Q45.4
2016-Q35.6
2016-Q25.8
2016-Q16.1
2015-Q45.9
2015-Q36
2015-Q26.3
2015-Q16.2
2014-Q45.8
2014-Q36.2
2014-Q26.5
2014-Q17.1
2013-Q47.3
2013-Q37.4
2013-Q27.3
2013-Q18
2012-Q47.6
2012-Q37.7
2012-Q27.7
2012-Q16.7
2011-Q47
2011-Q37.3
2011-Q27.3
2011-Q17.3
2010-Q47.9
2010-Q36.9
2010-Q26.6
2010-Q16.9
2009-Q45.9
2009-Q37
2009-Q26.5
2009-Q16.2
2008-Q45.2
2008-Q34.1
2008-Q23.9
2008-Q14.5
2007-Q44.2
2007-Q33.9
2007-Q23.6
2007-Q14.1
2006-Q44.3
2006-Q34.8
2006-Q24.2
2006-Q14.2
2005-Q44.6
2005-Q34.3
2005-Q24.9
2005-Q14.7
2004-Q44.7
2004-Q35.1
2004-Q25
2004-Q15.2
2003-Q46.3
2003-Q35.6
2003-Q25.1
2003-Q15.3
2002-Q45.6
2002-Q36.2
2002-Q25.5
2002-Q16.2
2001-Q45.8
2001-Q36
2001-Q26
2001-Q16.3
2000-Q46
2000-Q35.5
2000-Q26.7
2000-Q16.6
1999-Q46.6
1999-Q37.1
1999-Q27.6
1999-Q17.2
1998-Q46.8
1998-Q37.9
1998-Q27
1998-Q18.5
1997-Q48.8
1997-Q38.6
1997-Q28.1
1997-Q18.7
1996-Q49.3
1996-Q39.9
1996-Q210.6
1996-Q19.1
1995-Q410
1995-Q310.2
1995-Q210.9
1995-Q111.2
1994-Q411.3
1994-Q311.5
1994-Q211.9
1994-Q112.1
1993-Q412.2
1993-Q312.3
1993-Q212.8
1993-Q112.6
1992-Q412.3
1992-Q312.3
1992-Q212.4

Rankings

Definition

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. United Kingdom regions: Labour Force Survey, aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted. Canada: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the country and the provinces. Australia: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted, for the nation and the six states; the ABS publishes no seasonally adjusted series for the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. New Zealand: Household Labour Force Survey, aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted for the country and not seasonally adjusted for regional council areas. Norway: Statistics Norway Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted monthly figures. Sweden: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74, seasonally adjusted and smoothed (the series Statistics Sweden gives in its monthly release), national. Switzerland: Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS), ILO definition, permanent resident population aged 15 and over, seasonally adjusted quarterly averages, national. For other countries, the source may be OECD survey-based rates or annual ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank. ILO modelled estimates cover ages 15 and over. The World series uses those ILO modelled estimates.

Survey-based for national and Eurostat series. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states, US counties, United Kingdom regions, Canadian provinces, Australia and its six states, New Zealand with 10 of its regions, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland (national), not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate.

How to cite

Office for National Statistics. Labour Force Survey, national and regional headline indicators (seasonally adjusted): unemployment rate, aged 16 and over, both sexes (ONS, Nomis NM_59_1). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_59_1.data.json?geography=TYPE480&sex=7&economic_activity=3&value_type=0&measures=20207&time=first,latest. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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Questions

What is the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland?

Unemployment rate in Northern Ireland was 2% in Q2 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom). That is down 0.4 pts from Q2 2025.

Where does this figure come from?

Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom). Labour Force Survey, national and regional headline indicators (seasonally adjusted): unemployment rate, aged 16 and over, both sexes (ONS, Nomis NM_59_1). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-11.

What was the highest unemployment rate in Northern Ireland?

12.8% in Q2 1993, the highest value since Q2 1992 in this series.

Unemployment rate elsewhere in United Kingdom

Related statistics for Northern Ireland

All statistics for Northern Ireland