NI health: Growth in employment driven by overseas workers

The health service has traditionally been the sector most reliant on international workers and that trend continued in 2023.

The number of health workers increased by 2,900 from 143,700 to 146,600.

All of that growth was down to more workers from outside the UK or EU, rising from 8,300 to over 11,000.

This is consistent with other data, which has shown a post-Brexit change in immigration patterns to Northern Ireland.

UK law now makes it harder for non-Irish EU nationals to move to Northern Ireland for low-paid work.

However, liberalisation of the visa system for high-skilled and medical workers is attracting more workers from India and other Asian countries.