The number of Catholics in the workplace in Northern Ireland is continuing to rise, according to figures issued yesterday.
The report by the Equality Commission showed that in 2002 the number of Catholic employees grew by 1.7 per cent, while the number of Protestants fell by 0.6 per cent on the previous year.
In the public sector alone the number of Catholics appointed has increased from 40.5 per cent in 1990 to 48 per cent in 2002.
Of the almost 4,000 employers surveyed, the statistics showed that 59.1 per cent were Protestant and 40.9 per cent Catholic.
Figures from the 2001 census showed that the proportion of Protestants of working age was 57.3 per cent, while 42.7 per cent were Catholic.
It also showed that the Protestant population was older, with Catholics accounting for more than half (51 per cent) of those between 16 to 35, the age when most people are applying for jobs.
The Equality Commission's Ms Joan Harbison said these trends suggested that the number of Catholics available to work was likely to continue to rise.
But she added that the monitoring returns still identified some sections of the workforce where the numbers of Protestants and Catholics employed varied from what was expected.
"The commission will continue to evaluate factors associated with under-representations," she said.