Figures from the Central Statistics Office show a slowdown in the number of new jobs being created in the first quarter of this year, while the unemployment rate rose.
The CSO's Quarterly National Household Survey shows that the number of people in employment rose by 76,800 compared with a year earlier. This represented an annual growth rate of 3.8%, compared with the 4.3% rate in the final three months of 2006.
Unemployment increased by 3,600 in the year, to 91,800. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 4.1% in Q4 2006 to 4.4%. The number of people in the labour force grew by 80,400 or 3.9% in the year.
Despite a slowing housing market, construction industry jobs continued to rise, climbing by 28,300 or 11.2% in the year. Health and education rose by 8% and 6.9% respectively.
The CSO estimates there are now almost 320,000 foreign nationals in the labour force. They accounted for 45,000 - around 60% - of the annual increase in employment. Just under 15,000 were unemployed.
There was an increase of 11,500 in the number of foreign workers in the building industry, where they make up 13.5% of the workforce. Foreign workers account for 30% of workers in the hotels and restaurants sector.
