Windsor Women's Centre

Tel: 028 9023 5451

Education, employment and economic activity

On Census Day, in Blackstaff ward looking at the population aged 16-74:

14.9% had degree level or higher qualifications;
55.5% were economically active, 44.5% were economically inactive; and
5.4% were unemployed, of these 39.9% were long-term unemployed.

Of those who left school in 2002, 23.5% gained 5 or more GCSEs at grade C and above and 8.8% went on into further and higher education. Finally in 2006 39.1% of the post primary school population were entitled to free school meals.

Looking at benefit information, in 2004:

17.5% of persons aged 18-59 were claiming Income Support¹;
15.5% of persons aged 16-59/64 were claiming Incapacity Benefit¹; and
20.2% of persons aged 16+ were claiming Housing Benefit¹.

The Census of Employment is a statutory survey that is conducted every two years in Northern Ireland. It provides information on the nature and characteristics of non-agricultural businesses. In 2003 there were 8206 employee jobs in Blackstaff ward.

There were 0 farms registered to addresses in Blackstaff ward in 2005 and the total agricultural labour force was 0 persons².

Comparisons	WARD	LGD	PC	N.IRELAND
Comparisons	Blackstaff	Belfast	Belfast South	N.I
Census 2001
% degree level or higher qualifications	14.9	19.2	33.4	15.8
% economically active	55.5	56.9	63.3	62.3
% economically inactive	44.5	43.1	36.7	37.7
% unemployed	5.4	5.4	3.4	4.1
% of unemployed, who were long-term unemployed	39.9	42.6	35.4	40.4
Administrative Data
% school leavers gained 5 or more GCSEs at grade C and above (2002)	23.5	50.1	61.1	58.6
% school leavers continued on into further and higher education (2002)	8.8	47.5	63.7	61.7
% of the post primary school population entitled to free school meals (2006)	39.1	30.1	15.7	18.9
% of persons 18-59 claimed Income Support (2004)¹	17.5	16.9	8.0	10.8
% of persons 16-59/64 claimed Incapacity Benefit (2004)¹	15.5	12.8	7.7	10.7
% of persons 16+ claimed Housing Benefit (2004)¹	20.2	15.2	9.3	9.7
Employee jobs (2003)	8206	189979	94463	658845
Number of farms (2005)	0	28	8	27064
Total agricultural labour force (2005)	0	55	9	51073

Datasets used:
Census 2001 (NISRA Census Office), Benefit Data 2004 (DSD), Census of Employment 2003 (DETI), Farm Census 2005 (DARD), School Leavers Survey 2001/02 and School Census 2005/06 (DE).
¹ Census 2001 population data used to create a rate.
² If present the symbols - * indicate data not disclosed for this cell.