Construction jobs fall 5.4%

THE number of people employed in the construction sector fell 5.4% on a year-on-year basis in November.

The latest construction employment index figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed a reading of 99.7 — down from a reading of 105.4 in the same month in 2006.

November was the seventh straight month that showed a year-on-year decline in the index. October’s index showed a 4.7% year-on-year drop to 102.1. The index measures employment rates in private construction firms employing five or more people.