Today, Staffline Recruitment Ireland released our Salary Survey & Market Intelligence Report Q3 2026. The report comes at a key time for Northern Ireland’s labour market, ahead of the UK Autumn Budget, with ongoing economic uncertainty, cost pressures, skills shortages, changing workforce expectations and rising unemployment creating a more challenging environment for employers.
At Staffline, our aim is to ensure our clients are equipped with practical market intelligence and workforce solutions to support informed recruitment decisions, effective workforce planning and more efficient management of workforce costs.
Complex Labour Market
Both our Q3 Report and wider market data highlight increasingly challenging conditions across NI. Ulster Bank’s August Growth Tracker showed the Business Activity Index rising to 55.5 from 51.4 in July, the strongest growth of any UK region. However, employment fell for the second time in three months, with firms reporting difficulty replacing staff due to shortages of suitable candidates, while wider business costs continued to rise. This mixed picture is reflected throughout our Q3 findings.
Key Q3 Salary Survey and Market Intelligence Findings
Labour market conditions are becoming more complex. Employee jobs increased by 0.4% over the quarter and 2.1% year-on-year, but employers are facing rising unemployment, persistent skills shortages and wider cost pressures.
Wage pressure remains significant. Northern Ireland recorded the fastest annual pay growth across UK regions, adding to the challenge of attracting and retaining talent while managing workforce costs.
Competition for experienced talent remains strong. Skills shortages continue across technical, professional and specialist roles, particularly in engineering, finance, IT and senior appointments.
Retention is becoming increasingly important. Employers are placing greater emphasis on internal progression, workforce planning and protecting critical skills to reduce the cost and disruption of replacement hiring.
Candidate expectations extend beyond salary. Job security, meaningful work, job satisfaction, progression, flexibility and training all influence employee decision-making. Employers should benchmark pay and benefits, plan for future skills needs and build greater flexibility into workforce models.
Planning for 2027
Staffline is keenly aware of the challenging labour market conditions employers are navigating as 2027 approaches. Our insight is shaped by our partnerships with employers, regular engagement with policymakers and our experience supporting thousands of candidates and businesses.
As workforce challenges evolve, flexible and cost-effective staffing models can help employers respond to changing demand. Staffline supports businesses by sourcing quality candidates, managing recruitment costs and providing flexible workforce solutions that can scale in line with operational requirements.
By combining market insight with practical workforce solutions, we help employers plan with greater confidence and build the right workforce for what comes next.
Our commitment remains unchanged: Powering YOU at Every Level, helping businesses build stronger teams, unlock potential and achieve sustainable growth.
