A CO Down construction company which has been in business for more than four decades has become the latest casualty of the economic slowdown in the North.
Kilkeel-based RG Coulter has confirmed that because of the downturn in the construction sector 35 jobs will be lost at the company.
At one time the construction firm employed 300 people, making it one of the biggest employers in the area.
It is the latest blow for the North's construction sector which the Construction Employers' Federation has warned is now facing a major crisis.
The CEF believes a further 1,500 jobs are under serious threat in the sector in Northern Ireland. The job losses come as calls intensify from the business community in the North for a decisive cut in UK interest rates.
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is expected to announce a cut in official interest rates today.
Alan Bridle, head of economics and research at Bank of Ireland Northern Ireland, believes the only debate is what size a cut will be agreed on. Bridle believes the minimum required to boost public borrowing is a 0.5 per cent cut in rates.
