Irish small firms continue to take on more staff, but list the cost of labour as their biggest single business concern.
The latest quarterly survey from the Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) shows that 32% of the 400 companies surveyed have hired additional staff over the past three months. This figure is down from 38% in the previous quarterly survey.
The biggest increase in net employment was in the distribution sector, followed by services and retail. The manufacturing sector reported a marginal increase in employment numbers, after years of reported net losses.
Future employment prospects are also positive. 23% of companies anticipate hiring staff over the next quarter, compared to 18% in the previous quarter.
ISME's chief executive Mark Fielding said that companies are experiencing difficulties with rising costs, with transport and energy costs representing the biggest increases in the last quarter. However, ISME members identified labour costs as their 'biggest single concern.'
