Employment in Irish owned firms still growing for a sixth consecutive year

By Oscar Michel, Masters in Journalism, DCU

Link to pixabay image here.

After 6 years, employment in Irish owned firms is still growing according to an annual survey.

Carried out by the Department of Jobs, Entreprise and Innovation, this 2016 Annual Employment Survey points out the employment trends from 2007 to 2016. The survey has been carried out each year since 1972.

The survey found that companies like Entreprise Ireland, IDA and Údarás na Gaeltachta had a full and part time employment rate of over 409,041 jobs in 2016, accounting for 31% of total business employment in Ireland. There was a 5.4% increase in total employment in agency client companies since 2015, an increase of over 21,000 jobs.

Total full-time employment among Irish-owned companies amounted to 176,271 in 2016, an increase of 10,511 jobs (6.3%) over 2015. This increase continues the five year trend of positive employment growth for Irish-owned firms, following four years of net losses in employment between 2008 and 2011. Employment in Irish-owned firms increased by 27% from the low point in 2011 (138,464) to 2016 (176,271) and by 6.3% over the 10 year period. Irish-owned companies accounted for 49% of total full-time employment in agency-assisted firms in 2016 compared with a 51% share in 2007.
Among foreign-owned companies, total full-time employment amounted to 185,773 in 2016, an increase of 10,121 jobs (5.8%) over the previous year and the sixth successive year of growth. Employment in foreign-owned firms stood at 158,199 in 2007 and increased by 17.4% or 27,574 jobs by 2016.

All regions of Ireland have been covered by the survey and they all show a positive growth. Over the 10 year period, 2016 is the year with the highest level of employment for all these regions.

DJEI, in line with its mandate to co-ordinate the activities of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, continues to carry out the survey with the co-operation of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland regional staff. Údarás na Gaeltachta carries out the survey for companies falling within its remit and provides the results for inclusion in the DJEI database.

Companies formerly surveyed as Shannon Development companies have been incorporated into either the IDA Ireland or Enterprise Ireland client portfolios since 2013.

Link to Annual Employment Survey here.

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