Global downturn threatens 30,000 jobs

EMPLOYERS have warned that up to 30,000 jobs could be lost this year as the slowdown in the global economy continues to strike hard.

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.