Global downturn threatens 30,000 jobs
The gloomy prediction from Mark Fielding, chief executive of ISME, comes as Enterprise Ireland posted its worst jobless figures in 10 years. The agency said that 16,338 jobs were lost last year.
While 12,300 new jobs were created in 2002, the net number of jobs lost was 4,000.
Dan Flinter, chief executive of the business enterprise agency, said there was further bad news on the way.
He warned of another difficult year ahead for industry and said the outcome would hinge on the ability of firms to sell more in export markets. Enterprise Ireland, which handles 3,000 companies, said 25% of the job losses were attributed to company closures. Approximately 100 companies went to the wall last year.
Uncompetitiveness was responsible for roughly one third of the jobs lost.
Another 30% were directly attributable to cutbacks in the hi-tech sector and the remainder were due to restructuring including the loss of 600 jobs at the fertiliser group, IFI.
Enterprise Ireland pledged the introduction of new measures to tackle competitiveness this year.
On the plus side, the agency predicted a 20% rise in start up companies this year.
During 2003, the agency expects to provide financial support to 120 new start-up firms and to invest 130m in both grants and equity funding.
