More than 9,000 jobs added across Northern Ireland — Regional breakdown shows stronger growth outside Belfast

Employment levels in Northern Ireland have risen by more than 9,000 over the past year, according to the latest official payroll figures.

New data from the Office for National Statistics shows there were 819,793 employees on payroll in March 2026, representing an annual increase of 9,294 jobs, or 1.1%.

The figures, based on HMRC real-time information and analysed by employment and pay app WageSight, suggest steady year-on-year growth in the labour market, despite wider economic uncertainty.

On a monthly basis, employment levels remained unchanged, with payroll numbers flat compared to February 2026.

The data points to a broadly stable employment picture, with modest growth over the past year but little movement in recent months. Economists say this could indicate that while employers have continued to add jobs, the pace of hiring may be levelling off.

Across the UK, the labour market has shown mixed signals in recent months, with some regions experiencing stronger growth than others. Northern Ireland’s 1.1% annual increase places it in line with moderate growth trends seen elsewhere.

Separate figures for Belfast reflect a similar trend at a local level, with payroll employment reaching 151,705 in March 2026—an increase of 1,344 jobs, or 0.9%, over the past year.

Despite that growth, Belfast ranked eighth out of 11 towns and cities in Northern Ireland for employment gains, indicating stronger performance in several other areas of the region.

Mid Ulster tops the table with 68,534 employees on payroll, recording the strongest growth at 2.3%. It is followed by Antrim and Newtownabbey with 67,297 employees, up 1.7%, and Newry, Mourne and Down with 73,344 employees, an increase of 1.5%.

Ards and North Down reported 67,640 employees, up 1.2%, while Fermanagh and Omagh also saw growth of 1.2%, with 46,804 employees on payroll.

Lisburn and Castlereagh recorded 67,862 employees, up 1.0%, just ahead of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, which saw 98,992 employees and growth of 1.0%.

Mid and East Antrim reported 61,076 employees, up 0.8%, the same rate of growth seen in Derry City and Strabane, which recorded 60,996 employees.

Causeway Coast and Glens posted the weakest growth, with 55,544 employees on payroll and an annual increase of 0.5%.

Commenting on the data, Paul Hebden of WageSight said the figures show improving employer confidence, but warned that the outlook remains uncertain.

“Employment has improved over the past year, and recent data points to a more positive outlook,” he said. “The key question now is whether employers can sustain this momentum in the months ahead.”

He also noted that Northern Ireland appears to be outperforming the wider UK on job growth, suggesting a longer-running trend of relative strength in the local labour market.

He added: “It’s worth noting that Northern Ireland is really outperforming the rest of the UK on jobs,” he said. “It’s been a consistent pattern for at least 18 months, possibly longer.”

Analysts suggest that while annual growth remains encouraging, the lack of monthly movement may reflect ongoing pressures on businesses, including higher costs, recruitment challenges, and wider global uncertainty.

Overall, the latest figures present a mixed but stable picture: continued job creation over the year, but signs that the pace of growth may be levelling off as the labour market matures.