The number of people working in Ireland is growing at its fastest rate in five years

Ireland Online:

The CSO said employment increased by 4.7% in 2005, the highest annual rise since the year 2000, with the strongest growth recorded in the construction, distribution and business services sectors.

Migrant workers account for around half of the 87,000-strong rise in the number of people with jobs and now make up 9% of the Irish labour force.

Despite the positive news, the CSO also said today that the numbers without jobs had increased by 6.7% to 91,300 during 2005, pushing the official unemployment rate up to 4.4%.

Irish employment increased by 87,000 or 4.7% in 2005