Exporters Report Growth Yet Fear For Jobs

The Irish Exporters Association has revealed that Irish exports have bucked the trend, stepping into growth for the first half of 2009.

Calling the figures a "remarkable performance", the association's half-year review said merchandise exports for the first half of 2009 showed a return to growth of just under 2% despite the dire current economic climate.

The Association is forecasting yet further improvements based on half year figures, estimating that for the full year merchandise exports will increase over 2008 figures with service exports falling by one percent. Taken together this would see total Irish exports rising by one percent to €155 billion for 2009.

However, John Whelan, Chief Executive of the Association, said the encouraging figures masked a major problem, affecting Ireland’s traditional export sector.

Mr Whelan said that of the 25,000 jobs lost in the manufacturing sector since June 2008, the majority have been in exporting companies.

“It has been forecast that a further 35,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector could be lost before the end of 2010 with the bulk of the jobs being lost in traditional sectors,” said Mr Whelan. He added: “The IEA has since January 2009 been warning about the serious damage being done to employment to the indigenous traditional export sector during this recession.”

Mr Whelan said the bulk of the growth in merchandise exports for the first half of the year had come from companies, multi-national in the main, in the life-sciences sector including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and medical devices.

He noted that the life-sciences sector now accounts for some 56% of total Irish exports and is a sector, which is largely shielded from global economic downturns.

(DW/KMcA)