The year 2014 has been the best performing year in the history of State agency Enterprise Ireland, with the highest number of new job creations and the lowest number of jobs lost since 2000.
Enterprise Ireland client companies created 19,705 new jobs in 2014, a new record.
Total direct employment (full and part-time) in Enterprise Ireland client companies stood at 180,072 at the end of 2014, out of which 156,202 are full-time and 23,870 are part-time.
Enterprise Ireland said that client companies recorded the lowest level of job losses since 2000.
“The level of increased employment achieved is remarkable and endorses the strategy we have embarked on to 2016,” said Enterprise Ireland CEO Julie Sinnamon.
The achievement was noted by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Employment Richard Bruton TD: “This was a really strong performance. It is also interesting the rising number of women involved in start-ups.”
Sinnamon said that all credit for the performance was due to the clients.
She said new jobs growth was up from 18,000 to 20,000 and that losses were down to the lowest levels seen since the turn of the century.
The overall net gain was 8,476, “the highest net gain we’ve seen,” said Sinnamon.
Looking ahead to 2015 Sinnamon said that there were early indications that the State’s long-term investment in growth continues to show dividends.
