The technology sector in Northern Ireland suffered another blow today with the loss of 30 jobs at a computer consultancy firm in south Belfast.
Kainos, which employs 235 people, blamed the continuing poor performance of the global high technology market.
A spokesman said the company hoped to achieve the reduction in staff numbers through sabbaticals and voluntary redundancies, with compulsory redundancies as a last resort.
The job losses will take effect from August, he added.
SDLP South Belfast MLA Mr Alasdair McDonnell urged any company which is facing commercial pressure to contact government investment bodies.
"The loss of any job is a tragedy," he said. "While some losses have become inevitable since September 11th and the downturn in the global economy, we should not be complacent.
"Kainos or any other company which is finding the going tough should enter into urgent discussions with Invest Northern Ireland with a view to retaining or creating new jobs."
Ms Monica McWilliams, Women's Coalition, MLA said it was important that government agencies make every effort to protect as many jobs as possible.
"This is a really unfortunate message to be sending out to young graduates who are looking for jobs in this sector," she said.
The job losses at Kainos follow telecommunications giant Nortel's announcement that it was to shed 200 high technology jobs at its factory in Co Antrim last month.
More than 1,000 jobs have been cut at the Monkstown plant in the last two years as a result of the global downturn in the technology sector.
PA