More and more jobs forecast — except in agricultural occupations

AGRICULTURAL occupations is the only job category forecast to decline in Ireland.

Only 5% worked in agriculture in 2005, but even fewer will be left in 2012, according to the ESRI/FÁS occupational employment forecast.

For the forecast, a continuing high rate of economic growth is assumed — but analysts also made forecasts for a more pessimistic low economic growth scenario, and predicted that would result in job numbers falling in both the agricultural occupations and unskilled manual categories.