Irish full-time employment in manufacturing and internationally traded services fell 10,297 from 315,418 in 2000 to 305,121 in 2007 while the total workforce expanded by 605,000 in sectors such as construction, public services, distribution, retail and other services.

The Forfás Annual Employment Survey 2007, published today says that total exports by companies assisted by Irish state enterprise agencies, which trade in manufacturing and internationally traded services amounted to €106.9 billion in 2006, with foreign owned companies accounting for €96.4 billion of this total (90.2%), the remaining €10.5 billion was accounted for by Irish-owned companies. Manufacturing sectors accounted for €78.3 billion of total exports and €28.6 billion comes from the internationally traded services sectors.

Between 1998 and 2000, permanent full-time employment in manufacturing rose from 227,857 to 243,071, an increase of 15,214. Manufacturing employment in agency assisted companies decreased in each year since then with the exception of 2006 and now stands at 210,654.

Permanent full-time employment in internationally traded and financial services grew from 39,984 in 1998 to 82,060 in 2007, an increase of 105 per cent over the period. This has helped offset over 60% of the losses in the manufacturing sector since 2001.

Temporary and part-time employment within internationally traded services sectors has increased in almost each year of the period examined, growing from 5,900 in 1998 to a peak of 9,623 in 2004 and stands at 9,185 in 2007.

Total permanent full-time employment in agency-assisted companies operating in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sectors amounted to 305,121 in 2007, an increase of 1,115 jobs on employment levels in 2006. This compares to a net increase of 7,083 in the previous year.

Total full-time employment among Irish-owned companies amounted to 151,613 in 2007, an increase of 2,340 on the previous year. Employment among Irish-owned companies is 15,607 or 11.5 per cent higher than it was in 1998.

Among Foreign-owned companies, total full-time employment amounted to 153,508 in 2007, a decrease of 1,225 on the previous year. Employment among foreign-owned companies has increased by 13,227 or 9.4 per cent since 1998.