Number of firms with vacancies down sharply last month
The percentage of companies reporting job vacancies last month was down significantly on January, according to the latest survey by FÁS and the ESRI.
The two organisations say 12% of private-sector firms surveyed had vacancies in February, down from 20% the previous month.
The fall was reflected across all sectors, with the largest drop recorded in the services sector.
However, the percentage of firms expecting to increase employment levels in the coming months was up on the January figure, with 52% of employers predicting an increase in staff levels.
