LFS estimates were updated on 22nd Feb 2024 to incorporate updated population estimates for the period 2016 Q3 to 2023 Q3, based on the results of Census 2022. LFS results are updated in this way following each Census of Population. For further information see Background Notes. The data in this publication does not reflect these updates. Please refer to the relevant tables on LFS Px-stat for updated LFS estimates.
There were 2,471,200 people aged 15-89 years in employment in Q3 2021, giving an employment rate of 72.2% for those aged 15-64, based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) criteria
The number of persons in employment was up 9.8% (221,200) from 2,250,000 over the year while the employment rate was up from 66.4% in Q3 2020
Of those employed in Q3 2021, 303,200 (12.3%) were "Away from work" in the reference week. This compares to 253,800 (11.3%) who were "Away from work" in the reference week a year earlier
While employment was up over the year and the number of absences from work also increased over the year, the number of employed persons at work in the reference week increased by 8.6% (+171,800) over the year
There was a consequential increase of 6.0% or 4.3 million hours worked per week from 72.7 million hours in Q3 2020 to 77.1 million hours in Q3 2021
The COVID-19 Adjusted Measure of Employment, or the lower bound for the number of employed persons aged 15-89 years, rose from 2,369,731 to 2,393,394 between the end of September 2021 and the end of October 2021. This was accompanied by an increase from 69.1% in September 2021 to 69.8% in October 2021 in the associated COVID-19 Adjusted Employment Rate for those aged 15-64
Unemployment
There were 149,100 unemployed persons aged 15-74 years in Q3 2021 based on ILO methodology
In Q3 2021, the unemployment rate was 5.7% for those aged 15-74 years with a rate of 12.1% for those aged 15-24 years, these rates are down from 7.4% and 20.9% respectively in Q3 2020
The COVID-19 Adjusted Measure of Monthly Unemployment published as part of the Monthly Unemployment release for October 2021, was 232,866 for September 2021 (end of Q3 2021), this estimate is an upper bound and adds all those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) to the standard Monthly Unemployment Estimate
The COVID-19 Adjusted Measure of Unemployment fell to 205,246 in October 2021
The associated COVID-19 Adjusted Unemployment Rate fell from 8.9% in September 2021 to 7.9% in October 2021
The Monthly Unemployment release published on 03 November 2021 includes the latest standard and COVID-19 Adjusted Measures of Unemployment for all months up to October 2021, please see the Monthly Unemployment release for more information.
Labour Force
There were 2,620,300 persons in the Labour Force in Q3 2021 and this was up by 7.9% (191,100) from Q3 2020
The participation rate in Q3 2021 stood at 65.1% up from 61.0% a year earlier
This is an audio file with a 30-second quote from CSO statistician with the Labour Market Division, Jim Dalton, about the Labour Force Survey Quarter 3 2021 release. Media outlets have permission to use the clip as long as they credit the CSO.
