The Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA) has published its latest Work Quality statistical bulletin, adding six new indicators to help assess the state of employment across the region.
The new measures look at:
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Accidents at work
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Underemployment
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Trade union membership
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Participation in training
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Overtime (paid and unpaid)
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Zero-hours contracts
This builds on the March 2025 publication, which focused on 11 other work quality indicators. Together, these reports give a broader picture of the realities of employment in Northern Ireland, based on the Labour Force Survey and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
Key Findings
📉 Fewer employees working overtime – Since 2020, the proportion of people reporting overtime has fallen by 8 percentage points (from 29% in 2020 to 21% in 2024). This is seen as a positive shift for work-life balance.
✅ Positive consistency – Most employees reported they had not experienced an accident at work, were not underemployed, and did not have a zero-hours contract. Nearly 9 in 10 employees (89%) continue to avoid zero-hours contracts.
📊 Less positive outcomes – Training participation remains low, with just 21% of employees having completed training in the past 13 weeks. Trade union membership also remains modest, at 34%.
Comparisons Across Groups
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By sex: No significant differences between men and women. The widest gap was in trade union membership (37% of women vs 32% of men), but this was not statistically significant.
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By skill level: Employees in higher-skilled roles were more likely to belong to a trade union, take part in training, and avoid zero-hours contracts. However, they were also more likely to work overtime.
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By age: Workers aged 40+ were more likely to be trade union members (38% vs 29%) and less likely to be on zero-hours contracts (92% vs 86%) than younger workers.
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By deprivation: A higher proportion of employees in the least deprived areas reported not being on zero-hours contracts (91%) compared with those in the most deprived areas (85%).
Why It Matters for Local Businesses
For employers in Omagh and across Northern Ireland, these findings highlight the importance of balancing productivity with employee wellbeing. While reduced overtime is encouraging, low participation in training signals a need for businesses to invest more in staff development.
Supporting employees with skills growth and fair contracts will not only boost morale but also strengthen long-term business performance.
📑 The full NISRA Work Quality report is available on the NISRA website for those who want to explore the data in detail.
