Building industry expecting fewer jobs

The employment expectations of employers in the construction sector have fallen to the lowest level in four years, according to the November Fás/ESRI vacancies survey.

The survey found that the number of vacancies across the economy increased last month to 13 per cent. It was driven by an increase in vacancies in the construction and industrial sectors.

Following a fall in October, the percentage of firms in the construction sector reporting vacancies increased by five percentage points to 15 per cent.

The percentage of firms in the industry sector with vacancies rose to 19 per cent, while vacancies in the retail sector increased to 4 per cent. In the services sector, vacancies increased by one percentage point to 16 per cent.

The survey found that the percentage of employers anticipating a fall in employment levels over the coming months is slightly higher than those predicting an increase. The so-called net employment expectations recorded a figure of minus one. The employment expectations of construction employers fell by three percentage points to minus 12 per cent.