Computer manufacturer Gateway's decision to pull out of Dublin this year sent shockwaves through the local economy, which lost about £50 million (€63.5 million) a year in salaries and payments to suppliers.

More than 900 staff lost their jobs in the single biggest redundancy announcement since US tech firm Seagate closed its operations in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, in 1997. It also heralded the start of a wider economic downturn that has claimed the thousands of jobs.

But a few months on and there are few signs of the depression that descended around similar redundancy announcements in the dark days of the 1980s and early 1990s. Many Gateway staff even seem to have done quite well.

Mr James Kiernan, a 26-year old technical support agent at Gateway, remains pretty upbeat despite losing his job at the PC manufacturer.

Mr Kiernan is one of 60 Gateway technical staff to transfer to its Swords-based outsourcing partner, Clientlogic, which will continue to serve Gateway's existing European customers.

Therefore, as well as receiving 75 per cent of Gateway's redundancy package, he will transfer to a new firm with exactly the same work conditions next month.

Mr Kiernan, who heard that Gateway would close its Clonshaugh plant just three days before he got married, is representative of a younger generation who have only worked in a period of rapid expansion.

One Gateway employee, who didn't want to be named and will also work with Clientlogic, said the redundancies at the firm were very different from those experienced by his own father.

"My dad was made redundant four times and in those days it was a fight to try to find new jobs. It is different now."

Mr Mark Lacey, a 37-year-old technical support agent who has been with Gateway since it set up in Dublin in 1994, has experienced redundancy twice but has no qualms about working the high-tech sector.

"[Redundancy] can be a very stressful experience and it was an anxious time," says Mr Lacey. "The IT industry is so dynamic but I have found it to be a very good employer."

Although Clientlogic offered the same relatively lucrative deal to 115 of Gateway's technical support team of more than 200 people, just 60 took up the offer.

"This probably represents the young workforce and the number of foreign staff who worked on the technical support team," says Ms Jennifer Kelly, Gateway human resources manager.

"Many of the staff from the continent just took their redundancy payment and went back home," she says. "Many of the younger Irish staff have gone travelling or are taking a few months off."

Although many younger staff may have packed their bags for Australia, a surprising number of others have already found new jobs. Internal figures show one-quarter of staff who completed outplacement courses have already found jobs even before the plant's official closure on January 14th.

This relatively speedy takeup of alternative employment has occurred despite the payment of generous severance packages of six weeks pay per year of service. "Gateway employed a specialist outplacement agency, Saunders, Sidney and O'Shea to manage the redundancy programme with our workers," says Ms Kelly, who ironically was also made redundant by Seagate in Clonmel in 1997.

"[Gateway] helped employees to write CVs and prepare their interview skills. There was a group session for two days and telephone support for three months."

Gateway also arranged a jobs fair for employees and invited more than 30 firms to make pitches to staff.

"There is better employment legislation in place now, which makes consultation processes mandatory," she says. "Dublin is also a lot bigger than Clonmel. Some 1,300 people were employed in Seagate and it had a devastating effect on the town."

Yet the positive news does not mask the fact that employees with certain technical or managerial skills have done better than some operatives on production lines.

"About 90 per cent of the sales and marketing staff have found jobs but semi-skilled employees are finding it more difficult," estimates Ms Yvonne Molloy, client management director at Clientlogic.

"Unfortunately many Gateway workers didn't have the same opportunity as we had to transfer to Clientlogic," says Mr Damien Hanratty, a 31-year-old technical support agent. The timing of the Gateway announcement may also have helped because it was before September 11th and the full economic slowdown, staff said.

"Of the 30 or so companies which contacted Gateway about taking on staff. . . at least 18 [have now] frozen recruitment," says Ms Molloy. "Within two months the market has dried up for technical support jobs."

But ex-Gateway staff such as 23-year-old Mr James Todd are smiling.

"I thought about moving to Clientlogic and now I've made the move I think I made the right decision."