The success of the Irish labor market over the last decade has been unparalleled in the recent history of Europe. Fundamental to this success has been the strong performance of the Irish economy, which has grown at an average of six percent per annum over the past ten years.

Ireland has enjoyed unprecedented growth since the employment boom began in earnest in the late 1990's creating more than half a million additional jobs; the total number in employment now is in excess of 2.1 million. The sectors which have driven economic growth, namely construction and services, have also been the main sources of job creation with the numbers employed in construction doubling during the 1998-2007 period. By contrast, the manufacturing sector has performed poorly on the employment front, employing fewer workers now than in 1998.