Just 3 per cent of Irish employers are forecasting an increase in their workforce in the second quarter, one of the weakest global forecasts, according to a survey by Manpower.
The recruitment agency's survey noted that 27 per cent of construction employers said staff numbers had had fallen over the 12 months to the end of March, with a further 17 per cent expecting further headcount reductions over the three-month period to the end of June.
This sector has the most pessimistic outlook, and the employment outlook is the weakest recorded since the survey began in 2002.
Manpower's quarterly survey, which polled the views of 686 Irish employers, found that almost a quarter of restaurants and hotels have cut staff numbers in the year to the end of March.
Just 3 per cent of employers in this sector are predicting a rise in staff numbers for the second quarter.
Among the most optimistic employers are those in the transport storage and communications sectors where 15 per cent say staff numbers are expected to increase in the three months to June.
On a regional basis, employers in Munster were the most optimistic about recruiting new staff, while those in Ulster were the most cautious.
In Dublin, 5 per cent of employers said they were optimistic about hiring new staff.
The Irish survey forms part of a global poll conducted by Manpower's Milwaukee-based parent group of the same name.
The 3 per cent “net employment outlook” figure is compiled by taking the percentage of employers forecasting to increase their workforce and subtracting it from those planning to cut jobs.
Globally, Ireland’s employment outlook was the third weakest in the quarter, behind Italy and Spain, where there is no growth in the number of employers planning to hire.
Jason Kennedy, managing director of Manpower's operation in Ireland, said the employment picture in Ireland was slightly weaker than in the three-month period before Christmas. He said the hiring climate was at its most conservative since 2004.
