Enterprise Ireland firms enjoy jobs hike

Last year saw the highest net employment gain for Enterprise Ireland-client companies for 10 years, although the combined number of job losses also increased by nearly 4,000.

The agency’s end-of-year statement, issued yesterday, shows that just over 18,000 jobs were created by firms affiliated to it during 2013. After stripping out 12,591 job losses, the net jobs gain figure was 5,442. The losses figure was up from 9,000 in 2012; but the net gain figure was also up — from just over 3,800 in 2012 — and was the highest annual rise for a decade.

More data is due from the agency over the course of the coming months — with export figures from its client firms and its own annual report due in the spring and summer — but speaking at yesterday’s progress report, Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton hailed client firms as being “the heroes of our economy”.