Studies show Covid-19 fallout for Irish jobs, sector-by-sector        

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris at the announcement of €3000 euro grant for employers who take on apprentices with the unveiling of a billboard to promote the scheme in Dublin. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Many big employers, including in tourism, retail, and aviation face significant pressures amid the Covid-19 crisis, but construction has a brighter future, according to official reports covering 16 sectors of the economy.  

The Business Department said the detailed reports give an insight into the fallout on the Irish economy. 

"Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on society and the economy," said Higher Education Minister Simon Harris. "The full extent of the impact of the pandemic on global and national economies continues to unfold and it is still too early to fully assess the medium- to long-term implications of Covid-19," he said. 

On retail and wholesale, the report said the fall in footfall in town centres means some firms will struggle to survive. 

"Despite some retail activities remaining open in the lockdown and experiencing an increase in demand, the sector as a whole has been badly affected, with over 60% of the retail workforce, circa 180,000 people availing of income supports at the peak of the restrictions," the department said.    

The food sector employed 250,000 people before the crisis and many firms relied on the wage-support scheme, it said.  

On tourism, the department said under a "worst-case scenario" the economy could lose €2.3bn this year, affecting up to 200,000 jobs. However, construction which employed 148,300 people last year could be a bright spot.

"The construction sector is well-positioned to return to high levels of activity relatively quickly given underlying demand, the implementation of the NDP (National Development Plan) and the nature of the sector," the report says.