43% of Irish companies plan to hire more staff next year.

43% of Irish companies plan to hire more staff next year.

IBEC's latest pay survey also shows that the majority of these will be permanent positions.

Three quarters of companies are expecting to give pay rises in the coming year of around 2%

Director of Employer Relations at IBEC, Maeve McElwee, said it is important that the wage expectation is kept in perspective.

"There are a significant number of predominantly smaller industries and businesses who may not be in a position to increase pay next year with challenges such as Brexit and currency fluctuation," she said.