Employment Growth Slows To 3.3%

This compares with an annual growth rate of 3.9% in the previous quarter and to a rate of 4.2% in the third quarter of 2006. There was an increase of almost 27,000 or 2.2% in the number of men at work, while the number of women at work increased by 41,000 or 4.6%. Over half (54.4%) of the employment growth can be attributed to an increase of 36,800 (+10.6%) in the number of persons in part-time employment, which is comprised of an increase of 13,300 males and 23,500 females.

Annual employment growth in the Construction sector slows

Employment in the Construction sector grew by 4,800 or 1.7% in the year to the third quarter of 2007. This compares to an annual growth rate of 6.7% in the previous quarter and to a rate of 10.2% in the same quarter last year.

The annual increase in construction was attributable to the self-employed (+5,700) while the number of employees in the Construction sector showed a slight decline (-1,000) in the year.

Demographic factors account for over 85% of labour force growth

Demographic factors such as the increase in the number of people of working age in the population continued to fuel labour force growth, accounting for over 60,000 of the 68,900 people who joined the labour force in the year to the third quarter of 2007.

Net inward migration continued to be the main source of this demographic change accounting for an estimated 80% of the demographic increase. Over 53% of the demographic increase can be attributed to those aged 25-34, the age group most affected by inward migration.