IDA Ireland says 13,000 jobs were created in companies supported by the agency last year. This was an increase of 20% from 2010.
6,950 jobs were lost, however, leading to net gain of 6,114 jobs. The number of job losses was 25% lower compared with 2010.
IDA chief executive Barry O'Leary said the net jobs gain was the best figure in more than 10 years, while the number of job losses was also the lowest in more than a decade.
In its end-of-year statement for 2011, the state agency said the short-term pipeline of new investments was strong. It said the challenge was to maintain this throughout 2012 in the current "low growth" environment for the world economy.
IDA Ireland said 146,000 people were now employed in IDA-backed companies. It said there were 148 new investments last year, as the number of firms investing in Ireland for the first time increased by 30% to 61.
IDA Ireland said more than €700m was invested in new research and development initiatives last year, and that its client companies paid more than 70% of all corporation tax.
