27 July 2026
Ulster University outlook forecasts one million jobs in Northern Ireland by 2032
The Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) has published its latest economic outlook, forecasting that Northern Ireland will surpass one million jobs by 2032 and continue to outperform the UK as a whole over the coming years. The report projects NI economic growth of around 1.6% across 2026 and 2027, rising to 1.7% by 2028, ahead of a UK rate of roughly 1% in 2026.
Between 63,000 and 89,000 additional jobs are anticipated over the decade to 2035, depending on how far major infrastructure and investment plans progress, with construction alone potentially accounting for around 12,000 of these roles. This builds on the 107,000 jobs added between 2015 and 2025, roughly a third of which came from health and education, with professional and scientific services (around 15,000) and manufacturing (around 11,000) among the other strongest contributors. Healthcare is identified as a continuing driver of demand.
UUEPC economists were clear, however, that the picture is not without challenges. An ageing population and reduced inward migration mean the supply of workers is not keeping pace with demand, placing a premium on raising labour force participation, supporting those already in work, and investing in skills. The report also emphasised employee wellbeing, professional development and workforce planning as levers for retention, noting for example that reducing social worker turnover by a fifth could save well over £1 million a year.
For the careers profession, the outlook offers a credible and current picture of where sustained demand is likely to sit, including healthcare, professional and scientific roles, advanced manufacturing and construction, helping practitioners ground guidance conversations in robust local labour market information. Its finding that productivity growth tends to reallocate jobs rather than destroy them is also a useful counter to the anxieties some clients feel about automation and AI.
CDI members may wish to draw on the outlook when discussing growth sectors and progression routes with clients across all ages and stages. Its emphasis on participation, retention and wellbeing reinforces a message familiar to the profession: that career development is not only about entry into work, but about helping people sustain, progress and thrive in it across a working life.
Read more about Northern Ireland being on track to surpass one million jobs by 2032.
Between 63,000 and 89,000 additional jobs are anticipated over the decade to 2035, depending on how far major infrastructure and investment plans progress, with construction alone potentially accounting for around 12,000 of these roles. This builds on the 107,000 jobs added between 2015 and 2025, roughly a third of which came from health and education, with professional and scientific services (around 15,000) and manufacturing (around 11,000) among the other strongest contributors. Healthcare is identified as a continuing driver of demand.
UUEPC economists were clear, however, that the picture is not without challenges. An ageing population and reduced inward migration mean the supply of workers is not keeping pace with demand, placing a premium on raising labour force participation, supporting those already in work, and investing in skills. The report also emphasised employee wellbeing, professional development and workforce planning as levers for retention, noting for example that reducing social worker turnover by a fifth could save well over £1 million a year.
For the careers profession, the outlook offers a credible and current picture of where sustained demand is likely to sit, including healthcare, professional and scientific roles, advanced manufacturing and construction, helping practitioners ground guidance conversations in robust local labour market information. Its finding that productivity growth tends to reallocate jobs rather than destroy them is also a useful counter to the anxieties some clients feel about automation and AI.
CDI members may wish to draw on the outlook when discussing growth sectors and progression routes with clients across all ages and stages. Its emphasis on participation, retention and wellbeing reinforces a message familiar to the profession: that career development is not only about entry into work, but about helping people sustain, progress and thrive in it across a working life.
Read more about Northern Ireland being on track to surpass one million jobs by 2032.
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