Numbers of people in work to rise by 60,000 during 2017

The number of people at work has been predicted to rise by 60,000 over the course of 2017 while the average unemployment rate could fall to as low as 6%.

Economist Alan McQuaid of Merrion made the prediction after the CSO released its Quarterly National Household Survey for the first quarter of this year.

That showed total employment as of the end of March was 2,045,000, 68,600 more than at the corresponding point in 2016.