Ibec welcomes latest CSO jobs numbers

Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, welcomed today's strong jobs numbers published by the CSO. The final year figures show that in 2018 employment increased by 2.9%. 

Ibec Economist Alison Wrynn welcomed the figures stating: "The positive numbers released today show that employment in Ireland continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the EU. Construction experienced strong growth as the sector accounted for 23% of the new jobs created last year. However, overall growth was more concentrated than previous years. For every three jobs created, two were in the Greater Dublin Area. 

“Employment growth slowed in the fourth quarter of 2018 and it is likely that this trend will continue, even if a deal on Brexit is reached. This is because we are now at a mature stage of the business cycle with the economy close to full employment. Feedback from Ibec members suggests that many firms in certain sectors are operating below capacity, as they can’t find workers to fill vacancies. Increasing the number of employment permits and investing in skills, education and housing will help alleviate some of the shortages faced by these sectors.”