Employment black-spots must be tackled, say business groups

Business groups have called for action to combat unemployment in certain areas of the country.

It comes as two major employers in Cork and Limerick consider cutting hundreds of jobs in order to reduce costs.

IBEC and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed say the west is suffering the most, as Ireland becomes more expensive.

Policy director Pat Delaney said the issue of 'job black-spots' must be tackled.

"Throughout Ireland now you have the emergence of two economies: you have the east coast economy and you have the rest," he said.

"We need to spread that wealth and spread it top the rest of the regions sooner rather than later. The job announcements that we're hearing on a regional basis will have a far deeper effect than they would in Dublin."