Up to 450 new job losses were confirmed by two firms tonight.
A computer casing company based in Tullamore, Co Offaly said they were scaling down their operation, which would leave just 70 staff at the Flextronics plant in the midlands town. In Cork 80 of the 200 workers at Surfacemount Technology are to be laid off following the loss of a major British client.
The news follows the announcement of almost 1,000 immediate or projected redundancies in the State over the past week.
Employees at the Tullamore factory criticised management after claiming they had first heard their jobs were going through the media, and Tullamore Chamber of Commerce said there would be serious consequences for Co Offaly.
The Tanaiste and Minister for Trade and Employment Ms Mary Harney admitted that the loss of employment at the hi-tech firm was the latest in a series of blows for the region.
She pledged: "The government and state development agencies are determined to attract new replacement industries to the area."
Fine Gael frontbencher Mr Charlie Flanagan called on Ms Harney to spearhead a job replacement drive in Co Offaly, which had become an employment blackspot.
He said the Flextronic development marked the fourth factory closure in Tullamore.
PA