According to a new report by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland, the proportion of Catholic and Protestant employees in the region is nearly equal. The Commission reported in 2021 that Protestants made up 43.5% of the workforce in Northern Ireland, while Catholics made up 43.4%, and 13.1% were classified as “non-determined.”
Geraldine McGahey, the Chief of the Commission, attributes the shift in Northern Ireland’s workforce composition to the Fair Employment Act, which was enacted 32 years ago. This law prohibits discrimination based on religious belief, and McGahey believes it played a crucial role in paving the way for the Good Friday Agreement.
Additionally, the report indicates that the workforce has seen an increase in the number of Catholics and “non-determined” individuals since the publication of last year’s report. 52.4% of the monitored workforce consisted of females, and for the thirteenth year in a row, the proportion of Catholic applicants exceeded that of Protestant applicants.
McGahey believes that changes in Northern Ireland’s social structure necessitate immediate reform of equitable employment legislation. “Any new legislation should build on the successful and distinct equitable employment provisions. She said we should view it as an opportunity to strengthen and improve the policies that have worked so well to make our workplaces less segregated, more inclusive, and more tolerant of diversity.
The Equality Commission of Northern Ireland published a report stating that the proportion of Catholic and Protestant employees in the region is nearly equal. The report indicated that Protestants constituted 43.5% of the workforce, Catholics constituted 43.4%, and 13.1% fell under the category of “undetermined.” Geraldine McGahey, the Chief of the Commission, attributes this equilibrium to the Fair Employment Act, which enacted 32 years ago and prohibits discrimination on the basis of religious belief.
The report also revealed that women constituted 52.4% of the monitored workforce and that, for the thirteenth consecutive year, the proportion of Catholic applicants exceeded that of Protestant applicants. McGahey believes that reform of equitable employment legislation is now necessary due to the changing social dynamics in Northern Ireland. She has called for new legislation to strengthen and improve existing laws, which she believes have made workplaces more inclusive and tolerant of diversity.
