The Republic will be the top job creator among all 29 member-countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) over the next couple of years.

According to the OECD, the Republic and Spain will also have the largest percentage point declines in unemployment over the next two years.

In most other member-countries, unemployment should ease slightly but it is set to rise significantly in Japan and Britain.

The OECD predicted a marginal dip in unemployment for the 29-nation group as a whole from 7.1 per cent in 1998 to 7.0 per cent in 1999 and staying at 7.0 per cent in 2000.

In Britain, which has enjoyed relatively lower levels of unemployment than its continental European partners for many years, the OECD sees joblessness rising to 6.7 per cent this year and 7.3 per cent next year, from 6.2 per cent in 1998.

In contrast Irish unemployment is set to fall to 6.4 per cent this year and 5.9 per cent next year from 7.7 per cent in 1998. Employment growth is projected at 5.2 per cent this year and 3.8 per cent next year, compared with an EU average of just 1.3 per cent this year.

Overall the 15 states in the EU will see lower unemployment, but the decline is likely to remain small and only nudge below the 10 per cent mark next year, from 10.1 per cent this year and 10.5 per cent in 1998.

The Employment Outlook also found that the Republic experienced the highest employment growth last year followed by Mexico, Luxembourg and Spain. The State has also recorded the largest percentage point decline in unemployment.

Compared with other countries more of the Irish jobs were full-time with part-time much less important than in other countries such as France, Germany and Japan.

"In most OECD countries, part-time work has been increasing over recent years, sometimes at a rapid rate," the OECD said.

One of the main policy issues which should be addressed was the relative lack of training offered by employers to staff on part-time contracts, the report added. However, it also found that the Republic was the one state which offered training to part-time workers and those with low job tenure. However, this was more noticeable among men and the State still had one of the lowest female participation rates with the Netherlands having the highest.

According to the OECD, we have gone a very long way toward liberalising the jobs market with employment rights among the "least restrictive". The Republic ranks with the US and Canada for non-restrictive working practices, particularly in temporary work regulation.