Target the ‘work shy’ in North Antrim - Allister

Mr Allister was speaking after he tabled a written question to the Finance Minister, Simon Hamilton, asking for the number of economically inactive people in each constituency in Northern Ireland.

“In response to a written question to the Finance Minister, I have uncovered that there are 19,000 economically inactive people of working age within North Antrim,” said Mr Allister.

“There are many legitimate reasons for ‘economic inactivity’ such as unpaid caring roles, education or incapacity; but within these figures has to be an unquantified number of ‘work shy’.

“It is this latter category, which the employment minister recently said could not be quantified, which requires to be targeted in order to bring down the economically inactive figure and thereby ease the burden on society. Our economic inactivity figures in NI are well above the UK average. This is a brake on our economic prosperity and growth, yet, it is something Stormont has been singularly ineffective in addressing.”