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Economy

• The Northern Ireland economy was worth £24bn in 2006, equivalent to approximately 2% of the UK total.
• Public services accounted for 31% of Northern Ireland’s economy, a larger proportion than across the UK as a whole.
• Economic growth in the province is forecast at an annual average rate of 2.4% between 2008 and 2012. Expansion in the financial and business services sector is expected to be a key driver of growth, though this sector is relatively underrepresented in Northern Ireland.

Output

• Worth £2.2bn, in 2006, construction output in Northern Ireland accounted for nearly 3% of the UK total in 2006.
• Output is forecast to grow at an annual average rate of 3.5% between 2008 and 2012.
• The infrastructure sector and public non-residential sectors are expected to drive growth due to the amount of funding available for activity in these sectors in the Northern Ireland Executive’s investment strategy.

Employment

• Total construction employment of 77,640 in 2006 in Northern Ireland is forecast to rise to 83,740 in 2008 and 94,900 in 2012.
• To meet this demand, after taking into account those entering and leaving the industry, 2,980 new workers will be required to join the industry each year.
• Wood trades and interior fit-out, bricklayers and building envelope specialists are expected to have the largest annual recruitment requirements.

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