In recent times the Northern Ireland labour market has been performing strongly. This is evidenced by continued and sustained increases in the rate of employment and decreases in the rate of both unemployment and economic inactivity in the decade following the economic crisis.
Although the considerable decline in the rate of economic inactivity over the decade since 2009 are encouraging, this Research InBrief shows that trends in economic inactivity over the period 2009 to 2019 have been somewhat different for males and females. Specifically, in recent years we have seen a continuation of a decline in female economic inactivity, but a substantial increase in the rate of male economic inactivity.