The number of people employed in the construction sector fell further in June, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office.
The rate of decline in employment figures for the industry accelerated from 14.5 per cent in May to 15.2 per cent in June. The provisional year on year decrease was seen in private firms employing more than five people.
The monthly employment index fell to 93.1 in June from 109.8 for the same month a year earlier.
Jobs in the construction sector have seen a steady decline in the past number of months as the industry experiences ongoing weakness, starting with a fall of 0.1 per cent in April 2007 and gradually increasing every month.
In January, the number of people employed in the construction sector fell 10 per cent, with that rate increasing to 10.8 per cent in February and 12.4 per cent in March. In April, it dipped a further 13.5 per cent.
Experts are predicting the tough market conditions for the sector will continue throughout the year.
