FÁS: 15,000 building jobs to go as growth slows

EMPLOYMENT in Ireland is expected to grow by 60,000 this year — but up to 15,000 jobs will be lost in the construction sector, FÁS claimed yesterday.

It said unemployment is expected to remain just below 5% next year as the rate of immigration moderates in line with jobs growth.

FÁS said the Irish labour market has continued to deliver a strong rate of employment growth of almost 4%, or an additional 77,000 jobs, and a low level of unemployment with the long-term unemployment rate falling to an historical low of 1.2% in the first quarter of 2007.