Increased productivity ‘only way to save jobs’

EMPLOYER body IBEC warned yesterday the only way to beat the rising level of job losses was though higher productivity.

Director of policy Danny McCoy, said it was the only way to counter the 3,500 jobs lost in the year to date.

Mr McCoy said that manufacturing output had improved by 5.2% in 2006, the strongest rate of increase in 2003. That change could mark the long-awaited recovery in industrial performance.