Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the numbers in work continue to grow, while unemployment has fallen slightly.
According to the Quarterly National Household Survey, the number of people unemployed fell to 83,600 in the first quarter of the year, the fourth quarterly fall in a row.
The unemployment figure was 2,300 lower compared with the previous quarter and down 1,600 in the year - the first annual fall in three years. The unemployment rate is now 4.4%, down from 4.5% in the previous quarter.
1,835,900 people were at work in the first three months of the year, up 7,000 on the previous quarter and a rise of more than 52,000 on the same quarter last year. The CSO says 85% of the annual increase was accounted for by full-time employment.
A breakdown shows that the construction sector showed the strongest growth, with a 13,500 increase in employment in the past year. Retail, health and financial sectors also performed well.
But the data also show that long-term unemployment rose by 3,800 over the year, with the long-term unemployment rate rising from 1.4% to 1.6%.
Davy economists Robbie Kelleher and Rossa White said the figures confirmed the rebound in the labour
market first seen at the end of 2003.
They pointed out that private services employment growth eclipsed public services growth for the first time in four years.
The economists said the data were another indication of renewed vigour in the Irish economy and boded well for consumer spending growth this year.
