Catholic participation in the Northern Ireland workforce has improved steadily in the past 10 years, according to the Equality Commission.
The 10th report on employers' annual monitoring returns, published in Belfast yesterday, shows higher proportions of Catholics across all occupations and sectors.
Ms Joan Harbinson, Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission, said the proportion of the Catholic population in the monitored workforce had risen from 35 per cent in 1990 to 40 per cent in 1999.
Northern Catholics were estimated to make up about 42 per cent of those available for work.
"It remains true, however, that there are areas of under-representation of both Protestants and Roman Catholics, whether in individual firms or in some sectors," Ms Harbinson said.
"One of the areas which has shown a persistent Catholic under-representation has been the security sector. The commission hopes that the potential now exists for significant progress to be made in this sector over the next few years, with the measures contained in the Police Bill targeting a substantial increase in Catholic participation in the police service."
The Catholic share of the public sector increased from 35.3 per cent in 1990 to 39 per cent last year. Ms Harbinson said another issue to be addressed was the representation of Catholics in the senior grades of the Civil Service. "These particular areas of under-representation point up how the fair employment issue continues to be of crucial importance for future progress in Northern Ireland," she said.
"These issues are central to the identification of the Catholic and nationalist communities with the institutions of government and to their full involvement and participation in this society. They are important issues for employment equality, and also for the wider agenda of building a more inclusive society with the wholehearted participation of all sectors."
In the private sector, the Catholic share of employment in 1999 was 39.9 per cent. The figure has increased by an average of half a percentage point each year over the past decade.
Fair employment returns also provide information on applicants and appointees. In both the public and private sectors the Catholic share of applicants had increased for men and women. Appointees in the public and private sectors show a Catholic share in excess of 45 per cent.
Ms Harbinson said the need to tackle the difference in employment between Catholics and Protestants remained at the heart of fair employment.