Employment across all regions in the Republic of Ireland fell further during the pandemic but recovered faster than in Northern Ireland, according to new research.
The research is containted in the All-Island Economic Intelligence Dashboard from Dublin City University (DCU) and Ulster University.
It shows that while the Republic of Ireland experienced a deeper and more prolonged recession after the 2008 economic crash, the employment rate has increased by almost 16 percentage points in the Northern and Western region between 2012-2024 compared to just 5 percentage points in Northern Ireland.
The same pattern re-emerged following the recent Covid-19 pandemic where employment rates in the Republic of Ireland fell further but recovered faster.
The research also shows that 15% fewer workers in Northern Ireland hold degree level qualification or above compared with the Republic, and that 43% of economic inactivity among women in Northern Ireland is due to long-term sickness compared to 24-30% across the Republic.
Part-time work is more prevalent in Northern Ireland but there are lower instances of temporary work in the North compared to the Republic.
Comparing by age profiles, the employment rate among under 35s is largely similar across the regions, with Northern Ireland ranking second out of the four regions.
However, the 35-49 category, which is the prime working age cohort and has the biggest impact on the labour market, is marginally lower in Northern Ireland.
The dashboard makes Northern Ireland easily comparable to sub-regions in Ireland by providing the latest data on employment rates, economic inactivity, hours worked, occupations and qualifications.
"The recent programme for Government in the Republic of Ireland highlighted the need for investment in making economic and statistical data comparable on a North South basis on the island," said John Doyle, DCU Vice President for Research.
"This first step, from Dublin City University and Ulster University, will allow other researchers to incorporate island-wide perspectives into their work, without the costs and the delays which would have been required until today," he said.
Previously, comparing labour market data has been challenging due to differences in qualification frameworks and the way the information is recorded in the two jurisdictions.
The collaboration, supported by the Ireland Funds at Dublin City University and Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC), has made comparable data available in the form of interactive dashboards that will be regularly updated.
"The data uncovers some useful insights among demographic groups across the island, how the Republic has managed to tackle economic inactivity in part driven by increasing female participation, and the need for further upskilling and reskilling in Northern Ireland," said Marguerite Shannon, Senior Economist at Ulster University's Economic Policy Centre.
