Work

Between 2011 and 2022, there were notable changes in the principal economic

status of the adult population with an increase in the percentage ‘at work’ for both

men (54% to 61%) and women (46% to 51%). Other categories showed different

patterns for men and women over time: for men the percentage ‘unemployed’ fell

from 16% to 6% while the percentage ‘looking after home/family’ remained stable at

1%. In contrast, while the percentage of women ‘unemployed’ also declined - from

8% to 5% - it was less dramatic than that for men; but notably the percentage of

women ‘looking after home/family’ also fell from 18% in 2011 to 12% in 2022.

Table 1.3: Principal economic status for adult males and females, in 2011 and 2022

		Sex		At work	Unemployed	Student or pupil	Looking after home/family	Other categories	Number of persons (100%)
		(adults
		over 15
		yrs)
2011	Male			54%	16%	11%	1%	18%		1,771,510
										(100%)
	Female			46%	8%	11%	18%	17%		1, 837,152
										(100%)
2022	Male			61%	6%	11%	1%	21%		2,026,557
										(100%)
	Female			51%	5%	11%	12%	22%		2,110,295
										(100%)

Source: CSO Table F7012

Note: ‘other categories’ includes ‘retired’ and ‘unable to work due to permanent sickness or disability’; the percentage unemployed includes those looking for a first job

Average travel time to work increased by 3 minutes, from 26.6 in 2011 to 29.1

minutes in 2022 (CSO Table F7068). More noteworthy perhaps, considering the

impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the number of people working from home

which was 83,326 in 2011 and 259,467 in 2022. According to the CSO, the 2022

figure represents an increase of 173% compared to the 2016 census (Table F7111).

Religion and ethnicity