NI 'Real Unemployment' Rate Three Times Higher Than Official Figures: Ulster University Study

The Ulster University study suggests the real unemployment rate in NI is about 8%, three times higher than the official rate of 2.6%.

The study considers economically inactive people who want to work and those on government training schemes as "hidden unemployed." This brings the unemployment rate to 8.2%.

Over half of the "hidden unemployed" are economically inactive due to sickness or disability.

The study finds that removing childcare barriers alone would have a limited impact on economic inactivity rates without additional skills and employability interventions.

When applying this "real unemployment" formula to the UK, the rate rises from 4% to over 9%. NI has the lowest official rate but 4th lowest real rate.