Annual employment growth slows

Over the year to the end of March the number of people at work rose by 53,800 or 2.6 per cent, the slowest rate of employment growth since 2002, according to the according to the Quarterly National Household Survey, published today by the Central Statistics Office.

The survey shows that the total numbers at work declined slightly to 2.135 million, a fall of 3.8 per cent compared with the previous quarter.

Over the period the number of people out of work rose to more than 102,000 bringing the seasonally adjusted annual unemployment rate to 4.8 per cent in March.

According to the CSO, males accounted for all of the 8,700 people joining the unemployment register between January and March this year. In fact, 11,000 men became unemployed during this period while female unemployed decreased by 2,300. Two-thirds of those unemployed are males.

From a peak of 284,600 employees or - 13.7 per cent of total employment – at the end of 2006, the numbers in construction have declined 3.4 per cent over the year to the end of March, a loss of 16,900 jobs. The CSO said this was partially off-set by 7,100 former builders becoming self-employed.

Almost half of the overall increase in employment over the last year has come from the financial and business services sectors which accounted for 26,300 of new jobs.

Another sector to show strong employment growth was the retail and wholesale sector in which 21,100 jobs were created over the 12 months to March.

Employment was also pared back in "other production industries" which includes most areas of manufacturing, with 7,500 jobs lost. These job losses reflect the burden of rising costs and exchange-rate pressures facing manufacturers.

Almost 90 per cent of new jobs created in the last year were accounted for by non nationals, the survey says.

The survey also shows a rise in the number of part-time roles and notes that almost two thirds of the new jobs created in the 12 months to March were part-time. In the year to March 2007, just 15 per cent of all new jobs were part-time.

Of the part-time jobs created over the 12 months to March 2008, 25,700 were secured by women.

Given the expansion of the services sector and by the growth in part-time employment it is no surprise that female employment has grown in recent years.

By the first quarter, almost 926,400 women were working in paid employment and 53.4 of all women aged over 15 are now in paid employment.