Employment at Enterprise Ireland client firms saw net job creation of 10,840 in 2022, bringing total employment at firms backed by the government agency for developing Irish business to 218,180.
A total of 19,660 new jobs were created at Enterprise Ireland companies, with 8,820 job losses, resulting in an overall increase in employment of 5%. More than two-thirds of jobs with client firms were based outside of Dublin.
The data is based on self-reporting by companies that receive Enterprise Ireland state aid.
The agency said employment increased across all three of its core economic sectors - technology and services (+8%), industrial and life sciences (+5%), and food and sustainability (+3%).
There was also strong job growth in sub-sectors such as climate, sustainability and agritech (+13%), digital technology (+9%), high tech construction and housing (+6%), and fintech, financial and business services (+6%).
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"2021 was a record year for employment creation in Enterprise Ireland companies and to see a further 5% increase in total employment in 2022 shows the potential we have to continue to go from strength-to-strength," said enterprise minister Simon Coveney.
"But we must not be complacent, and we need to continue to focus on the right things to further build the resilience of business and to keep innovation at the heart of that."
Coveney added that the regional balance in terms of both new jobs created and total employment was a "real positive". and that 147,000 people in the regions are now employed by companies that receive taxpayer-funded Enterprise Ireland payments.
“The government’s target to have a record 2.5m people employed by 2024 has already been exceeded. Enterprise Ireland has also exceeded its own employment target for 2022 with these results announced today," the minister stated.
“The White Paper on Enterprise which we published last December together with progressing the recommendations of the SME Taskforce will help to guide us on our journey to drive the improvements that matter most to small businesses, particularly the evolution towards a green and digital future, which are the twin pillars of our future enterprise policy."
The announcement took place at Irish tech firm Version 1’s headquarters in Dublin. The firm recently surpassed 3,000 employees globally.
EI chief executive Leo Clancy stated: “Supporting Irish-owned companies to achieve greater scale and expand their global footprint is a priority for Enterprise Ireland in 2023."
Enterprise Ireland's end-of-year statement also highlighted 161 early-stage company approvals, 514 skills and talent interventions, 296 digitalisation interventions, 102 R&D approvals greater than €100,000, support for 144 climate projects, 238 companies entering a new market, and 1,271 overseas contracts secured with the agency's assistance.
(Pic: Getty Images)
