The numbers employed in construction has fallen by one-fifth over the last 12 months, according to figures released today.
The Central Statistics Office found employment in private firms - with five or more people - in the construction industry fell by 20.2 per cent in November 2008 when compared with November 2007.
The monthly employment index decreased from 99.8 in November 2007 to 79.6 in November 2008.
The final figure for October 2008 also showed a fall - 17.7 per cent when compared with October the previous year.
Last week, CSO figures revealed unemployment rose to 10-year high of 8.3 per cent at the end of 2008 as the number of jobless people claiming benefits surged by a record 121,100 in the year to December.
During 2008, the number of Live Register jobseekers' benefit and allowance claimants soared by a record 71 per cent to bring the total number of claimants to 293,500. That is the highest level of claimants since December 1993.