A report by the PA Consulting Group has predicted that around 1,000 new jobs will be created in Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector by the end of the year. In its latest survey on business prospects, the company says there has been continued growth in the numbers employed in manufacturing, which now stand at around 104,400, an increase of 700 over the last three months.
PA's chief executive, Mr Ray Nulty, said the survey, which was carried out with the co-operation of 100 of Northern Ireland's leading manufacturing companies, representing 50 per cent of the manufacturing workforce, showed that they were very resilient, in spite of the difficulties created by the strength of sterling and the continuing instability in the political situation.
According to the survey, one of the highest levels of investment will be in the meat processing sector, with forecasts that it will be more than 40 per cent ahead of last year. A similar increase has been predicted for the mechanical engineering sector, where it is expected that investment this year will be 45 per cent up on 1996.
In the manufacturing industry in general, the rise in investment is forecast to be of the order of 12 per cent.
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