IBEC: 31% Jobs Increase In 2013, But Hospitality VAT Must Be Retained

By Publications Checkout
IBEC: 31% Jobs Increase In 2013, But Hospitality VAT Must Be Retained

Employers Group IBEC have announced that there has been a 31% increase in new jobs over the past 6 months compared with 2012.

The reports show that there were 8,259 new jobs created in the past 6 months with an additional 2,100 created during September.  

The manufacturing sector provided a third of all jobs added in the first half of the year according to IBEC’s stats. It is also revealed that IT sector has been the most active, creating adding a total of 1,420 positions in the first two quarters.

 In its latest jobs report to the end of June, the organisation says that employment was up by 34,000 on the previous year with workers in the private sector increasing by 1.8% on an annual basis.

This performance exceeded expectations according to IBEC’s chief economist Fergal O’Brien. However, O'Brien says that despite the improving figures “unemployment remains at crisis level”.

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IBEC urged the government to resist any tax increases in the forthcoming budget which could lead to thousands of job losses.

 “The jobs recovery has been better than most expected, but unemployment remains at crisis level. Any excise, Vat, or PRSI increase will directly hit the number of new jobs next year. We simply cannot afford to take more money out of the domestic economy,” they said.