Archibald welcomes Northern Ireland economic growth and pledges focus on jobs

Northern Ireland economy growth has been welcomed by Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, who said her focus is on turning the latest rise in output into more good jobs and benefits for communities.

The economy grew by 1.0% in the second quarter of 2026 and reached a new high for the Northern Ireland Composite Economic Index. The Belfast Desk reported on the figures earlier. 

What Dr Archibald said about Northern Ireland economy growth

Dr Archibald said the figures demonstrated the economy’s “strength and resilience”. Services and production were the main drivers of growth during the quarter, each contributing 0.4 percentage points to the overall increase. 

The minister also pointed to recent trade figures showing growth in goods exports. She said Northern Ireland’s access to both the UK and EU markets offered an opportunity to attract investment, increase exports and create jobs.

Focus on benefits of growth

Dr Archibald said she wanted to build on the figures by raising productivity and ensuring economic growth was felt across Northern Ireland.

Her comments follow the release of figures showing that overall economic output was 2.3% higher than in the same quarter of 2025. The Department for the Economy said goods exports rose by 3.6% in the year ending in the second quarter of 2026. 

The minister’s full statement is available from the Department for the Economy.