On most other measurements the jobs market has showed a near complete recovery and for many employers the biggest challenge has been finding the staff they need to grow their businesses.
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits has been ticking up since early this year. And while the payroll number is far above its pre-pandemic level it actually showed a small monthly fall in April, down from 790,000 to 786,000. He also pointed to recent employer surveys which highlighted that a majority of Northern Ireland firms said they were still actively recruiting.Mr Magill is cautiously optimistic that the jobs market will provide new opportunities.