Almost 12,000 new jobs were created in Dublin this year, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce has said. Overall, more than 77,000 new jobs have been created in the city during the 1990s, the majority of which are in the service industries. The period from 1994 to 1997 was the most productive, accounting for 58,500 new jobs, the Chamber says in its end of year review, published yesterday. It says 420,100 people were at work in the city this year, an increase of 22.5 per cent since 1990.

"More than half (56 per cent) of the jobs were held by men," it says. The percentage of women in the workforce has increased from 39 per cent in 1990 to 44 per cent in 1997. The Chamber points out that this is considerably higher than the national average of 38 per cent.

Jobs in services now account for 77 per cent of all employment in Dublin. Business services, including financial services account for almost half of total jobs.

The review also examines progress to date on issues that include sport, tourism and transport. On transport, it says Operation Freeflow worked well at Christmas, but steps must be taken to combat mounting traffic congestion. It welcomes the appointment of a Director for Traffic by Dublin Corporation, but adds that the brief must be extended to the whole city.

It says car ownership in Dublin increased from 275 per 1,000 people in 1991 to 357 per 1,000 in 1996, with further growth this year.