Almost 6,000 workers were made redundant in the first quarter of 2006, and over 1,600 people lost their jobs in the month of March, according to Government figures released today.
Ibec's senior economist Fergal O'Brien described the figures from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment as "worrying" and said they reflected the fact that the competitive pressures on Irish business continue to intensify.
"Despite the current overall strength of the Irish labour market and strong economic growth, the government must not become complacent about job losses," Mr O'Brien said.
The figures show that around 55 per cent of all jobs lost in the January to March period were in the services sector, with about one-third in manufacturing.
"While it is inevitable that there will be some churning of employment, every effort must be made to support the competitiveness of Irish business," Mr O'Brien said.
"Local authorities, in particular, must seek to reduce their unsustainably high charges for rates and services."
