Almost one-fifth of firms in the industry sector reported job vacancies last month, a survey revealed today.
The amount of companies across all sectors with jobs on offer rose to 13 per cent.
The Fás/ESRI employment and vacancies survey found the number of firms in the industry sector with jobs available rose to 19 per cent, the construction sector increased to 15 per cent, while the retail sector rose to 4 per cent, and the services sector was at 16 per cent, compared with the previous month.
The most frequently reported difficult-to-fill positions in each sector were: construction - quantity surveyors; industry - managers, sales personnel and technicians; retail - sales staff; and services - managers, insurance brokers and accountants.
However, more business owners are expecting a fall in employment levels over the coming months than those predicting a rise.
PA