The number of permanent full-time jobs at companies supported by the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Udarás na Gaeltachta exceeded half a million last year, according to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s latest Annual Employment Survey.
The 504,831 total represented an increase of 1.4 per cent or 6,800 on 2023.
The report suggests the rate of growth in the numbers employed by the companies slowed over 2023 and last year but the upward trend continued with the latest total representing an increase of more than 50 per cent on 2015 when 328,184 were working for the firms at the various agency-supported companies operating across industrial and services sectors.
Some 22,922 were lost at the companies, two thirds of them in foreign-owned firms and there were some small declines in specific areas including computer consultancy and programming but that number was the lowest since 2019. In every year over the past decade there was an overall net gain, the highest being in 2022 when some 32,000 more jobs were created than lost.
Ireland boss Simon Easterby makes some bold and exciting selections for Wales clash
Remote working is here to stay and has whole new language about ‘hidden hybrid’ and ‘mouse jiggling’
Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexually assaulting Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso
Ancient remains discovered in Co Derry bog ‘likely to belong to young woman’ who died violently
Of the total now, just short of 300,000 are working at foreign-owned firms, where the gradual shift towards services, from 50 per cent in 2015 to 55 per cent last year, continues. Almost 206,000 are at Irish-owned companies, about two thirds of which are operating in industrial sectors.
Foreign-owned client companies in the Dublin region accounted for 134,194 full-time jobs, up 73.7 per cent on a decade ago.
Welcoming the latest figures, the Minister, Peter Burke, said the results “demonstrate the strength and resilience of our jobs market and industry in Ireland, in spite of the challenges posed by global economic and political headwinds”.
“In 2024, employment growth in Irish-owned firms was strong across the board, including in the construction, business services and food and drink sectors. Total permanent, full-time jobs among Irish-owned companies has increased by another 2.3 per cent this year, with Irish-owned companies growing in employment in every year over the past decade.
“Among foreign owned firms, employment growth in chemicals, business services and medical devices sectors has meant that we have maintained 300,000 roles across FDI, with 2,237 additional roles added this year,” he said.
