There has been a decline in the number of jobs at IDA supported companies, according to the agency's end of year statement.
It shows just over 9,000 jobs were created during 2003 while over 12,000 were lost.
In a statement, the agency said the job figures were disappointing but it was attracting projects with high levels of skill and value where the projected job numbers were inevitably lower.
The IDA says it is pursuing a 'new breed' of high level projects and has been pleased this year to have secured high-profile Internet companies such as Google and eBay as well as major investments in the pharmaceutical and financial services sectors.
According to the agency, 40% of the new jobs created by IDA-backed companies this year will pay salaries in excess of €37,000.
However, the chief executive of the IDA, Séan Dorgan, said the projected job numbers associated with high value projects is lower than previous job-intensive investments.
He said the IDA is now targeting these investments rather than jobs directly.
The end of year statement also shows IDA backed companies exported €65.2bn worth of goods and services last year while €14.7bn was spent by IDA companies in Ireland. In total, these companies employ 129,000 people here.
