Northern Ireland had an estimated 820,800 employees paid through PAYE in June, according to the latest labour-market release, leaving the monthly total unchanged but 1.4% above the figure recorded a year earlier. The estimate is based on early data and may be revised.
The Department for the Economy’s July 2026 release also recorded median monthly pay of £2,480 in the PAYE data. That was £115 higher than the corresponding level a year earlier, based on the figures published in the release.
The department reported an unemployment estimate of 1.8% for the March-to-May 2026 period. It cautioned, however, that changes in the Labour Force Survey’s headline measures over both the quarter and the year were not statistically significant.
Confirmed redundancies totalled 1,670 during the year to June 2026. That was 23% below the equivalent figure for the preceding year, according to the official statistics included in the July labour-market publication. The redundancy figure is recorded separately from the PAYE estimate.
The PAYE total provides a timely measure of the number of employees, but the department has stressed that the June figure is a flash estimate. It is drawn from early information and can be revised as more complete data become available.
June’s PAYE estimate was level compared with the previous month, while the annual comparison showed an increase of 1.4%. The same release placed median monthly pay £115 above its year-earlier level, at £2,480 in the PAYE figures.
The official release therefore combines a payroll estimate, pay information, unemployment data and confirmed redundancy figures. The department’s revision warning remains important when interpreting the June PAYE total of 820,800 and comparisons drawn from that early estimate.