Skip to content

Low paid jobs at NI record low but still highest in UK

Getty Images Mid section of person in black top holding purse in one hand and coins in the other.Getty Images
Typical weekly earnings in Northern Ireland increased by £8 over the year to £666 in April 2024

The number of low paid jobs in Northern Ireland has hit a record low of 4.7% - but that is still the highest proportion of the 12 UK regions.

This definition of low pay means someone who earns two-thirds of the UK average hourly earnings which was £11.39/hour in 2024.

It comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced minimum wages will rise, with the National Living Wage set to go up to £12.21 an hour.

More than a million low-paid workers are set to benefit when rates increase in April 2025.

Getty Images Magnifying glass over a jobs & careers form.Getty Images
Typical annual earnings for full-time employees in NI were £34,400 in 2024

Typical weekly earnings in Northern Ireland increased by £8 over the year to £666 in April 2024, according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earning by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

That is an increase of 1.2% over the year to April 2024, once adjusted for inflation.

This comes after two years of decreases in real earnings - where inflation (the rate at which prices were rising) - was out pacing growth in earnings.

Northern Ireland experienced the joint lowest rise in weekly earnings over the year of the 12 UK regions, and is now the third lowest earning region, with London (£906) highest and the North East (£651) lowest.

Typical annual earnings for full-time employees in NI were £34,400 in 2024 - that is £3,000 lower than the UK figure of £37,400.

However, it depends where you work, earnings in the public sector once adjusted for inflation fell by 2.8% over the year, compared with an increase of 3.5% in the private sector.

Getty Images Female restaurant worker setting a table. She is wearing a white shirt and green apron carrying a plate. Getty Images
The lowest paid industry was 'accommodation and food service', which now earns £511 per week on average

It should be noted that public sector pay awards have since been made and therefore are not included in this data.

The levels of growth depend on what industry you work in and where in Northern Ireland you work.

The highest paid industry in 2024 was 'information and communications', which now has weekly earnings of £818, an increase of £37 (4.8%) from 2023.

The lowest paid industry was 'accommodation and food service', which now earns £511 per week on average, an increase of £59 (13%) over the year.

Employees who worked in Belfast had the highest weekly earnings (£718) while those working in Causeway Coast and Glens had the lowest (£559).