The north is on course to surpass one million workforce jobs by 2032, new research from Ulster University suggests. Summary of latest Ulster University Economic Policy Centre Economic Outlook. The UK economy is expected to growth by just 1% this year, rising to 1.6% by 2029. “The actual figures show how resilient the Northern Ireland economy has been despite the geopolitical tensions,” said Dr Patton. Meanwhile, research into productivity growth and employment has challenged the notion that higher productivity inevitably results in fewer jobs.