The annual growth rate for new employment has slowed slightly, with the first quarter of 2007 showing a rise of 3.8 per cent.
This compares to an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent in the previous quarter and to a rate of 4.7 per cent in the same quarter last year.
The total labour force stands at 2,166,700, which is an increase of 80,400 or 3.9 per cent over the year. This accounts for 62.9 per cent of all persons aged 15 and over.
The number of men in employment increased over the past 12 months by 38,100 (up 3.3 per cent), while the number of women working increased by 38,700 (up 4.6 per cent).
A total of 91,800 people were registered as unemployed in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 3,600 over the year. Some 3,300 - or 90 per cent - of the rise were males.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 4.1 per cent to 4.4 per cent between the fourth quarter of 2006 and the first quarter of 2007.
The number of women working rose from 52.2 per cent to 53.2 per cent, while that for males increased from 72.5 per cent to 72.8 per cent.
The CSO estimated that foreign workers accounted for about 45,000 or almost 60 per cent of the annual increase in the numbers in work.
The number of foreign nationals aged 15 years or over in Ireland, which has a total population of just over 4 million, was 319,800 in the first quarter. Of those just under 15,000 were unemployed.
Nationals of the 10 accession states that joined the European Union in May 2004 were the fastest growing category with their numbers in the labour force growing from 74,100 in the first quarter of 2006 to 112,400 in the most recent quarter.
The CSO estimated a further 2,500 people aged 15 and over arrived from Bulgaria and Romania, which joined the EU this year but face tighter immigration rules.
In terms of sectors, overall employment in the construction industry rose 11.2 per cent year-on-year to 282,100. There were also strong increases in the health and education sectors.