Employment in private firms in the construction industry fell by 0.1 per cent in April compared to the same month in 2006, figures from the Central Statistics Office show.
The monthly employment index decreased from 109.2 in April 2006 to 109.1 in April 2007, the CSO said.
This follows a report by Fás and the ESRI, published yesterday that found reported vacancies in the construction sector fell by four percentage points to 6 per cent, the lowest rate in the sector since June 2006.
The employment and vacancies survey for May found firms reporting positions in the services sector fell by six percentage points to 19 per cent.
For the fourth consecutive month, posts to be filled in the industry sector remained unchanged at 15 per cent, while reported vacancies in the retail sector increased slightly to 2 per cent.
Overall the percentage of firms reporting positions in the private sector fell by 3 per cent, predominately driven by a drop in jobs in the construction and services sectors.