Nearly 500,000 people were employed by client companies of three Government agencies last year, up 6.3pc on 2020.
Employment in companies supported by Irish Government agencies Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta is at record levels.
According to the employment survey report from 2021, the number of jobs at the client companies of these agencies increased 6.3pc compared to the previous year. It reached 491,638 jobs, its highest ever level.
Regional jobs growth was particularly strong last year. More than 55pc of full-time employment in both Irish-owned and FDI companies came from outside of Dublin.
Strong results were reported for the year by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. In 2021, employment supported by these agencies increased by 28,909 jobs or 6.8pc across all sectors.
The manufacturing sector accounted for more than a third of this increase, having created 9,652 new jobs. The energy sector recorded a 33pc employment increase on 2020, while employment in the ICT services sector was up 9.6pc with 11,201 new roles.
Within the ICT services sector, employment in the ‘other IT and computer services activities’ area grew by 19.1pc (4,147 jobs) and in the ‘computer programming’ space by 7.5pc (2,786 jobs).
As a whole, the sector increased its share in the total agency-assisted company employment figures from 23.9pc in 2012 to 28.4pc in 2021.
Irish-owned, Government-assisted companies operating in the ICT sector increased their employment figures from 15,143 jobs in 2012 to 26,946 in 2021. For foreign-owned, Government-assisted companies in the sector, jobs were up from 51,852 in 2012 to 101,326 in 2021.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, TD, said that the overall positive trend in the employment figures was in spite of “the immense challenges faced by businesses over the past couple of years”.
“That’s remarkable. It’s a testament to the fortitude of the businesses in question and the dedication and flexibility of the staff in Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Údarás na Gaeltachta,” he added.
He also said, however, that the positive results did not “capture the full story” and encouraged any employers who need help to reach out to the Government agencies for assistance.
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