Over 17,000 jobs lost at Enterprise Ireland-backed companies last year 

Life sciences and cleantech sectors saw significant employment growth in past year, while the ICT and food sectors took a hit

Enterprise Ireland CEO Julie Sinnamon said full-time jobs increased in Ireland by 1,184 last year.

Over 17,000 jobs were lost at companies supported by Enterprise Ireland last year, despite job creation closely matching the same levels as 2019.

Almost 16,500 jobs were created by EI-backed companies in 2020, but the challenges of both Covid-19 and Brexit meant some 17,368 jobs were lost, leaving a net drop in employment of 872.