A total of nearly 16,000 new jobs were created by IDA supported companies this year - the highest number ever in a single year.
But because of a sharp rise in comparison to last year in the number of jobs lost, the net increase in employment was lower than in 1997.
The best performing sectors continue to be electronics and engineering, which created more than 7,000 new jobs.
Chief executive Kieran McGowan said job losses were a reminder that companies operating here could not stay immune to developments in the global economy.
