Dear Brian 

Compliance Review of Labour Market Statistics in Northern Ireland

Today we have published a compliance review about how Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) is improving its Labour Market Survey Statistics. This review focused on NISRA’s development of a new Labour Market Survey and addresses the following questions: 

• Is NISRA effectively handling the transformation of labour market statistics, including engaging with users to understand whether proposed improvements meet user needs and being transparent about its work? 

• Is NISRA adequately assuring itself and users about the quality of statistics produced using new data and methods? 

• Is NISRA effectively seeking ways to ensure statistics are coherent at the UK level, in line with user needs? 

Overall, we found NISRA has taken a considered approach to developing a shorter labour market survey, balancing response rates, data quality and user needs, and has engaged widely with users and stakeholders. However, there remains a lack of clarity and transparency for some users—particularly around survey content changes, readiness criteria for transition, and the wider UK data strategy.   

Our report identifies six recommendations for NISRA to take forward, as it continues its development of a new Labour Market Survey, to provide users with greater clarity about the transition, the quality of the new labour market statistics the survey will produce and how user need will be met. We request a progress update in six months time.  

We would like to thank you and the rest of your team for your productive engagement throughout this review.  

I am copying this letter to Philip Wales, Chief Executive at Northen Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 

Yours sincerely  

Rob Kent-Smith  

Deputy Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation