The sector that recorded the largest decrease in employment in June was accommodation and food services, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.
Amid claims from industry organisations of widespread closures of restaurants and cafes, employment in the sector fell by 1% in the month according to the CSO’s monthly estimates of payroll employees.
The data was published a day after celebrity chef, Dylan McGrath, announced that he was closing two of his well-established Dublin restaurants as the situation was no longer sustainable.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) recently said that 557 restaurants, cafés and other food led businesses had been forced to close since the VAT rate increase last September.
In July alone, 45 outlets alone closed their doors, the RAI said.
The sector with the next largest decrease in employment in June according to the CSO was education, which fell 0.9%.
The biggest growth was recorded in administrative and support service activities, up 1.1% and professional, scientific and technical activities, up 0.9%.
Overall, the seasonally adjusted employee index fell by 0.1% in the month to June, but was up 2.1% in the year to June.
Taking age into account, the largest decreases in the monthly index to June were seen in the 20-24 years and 15-19 years age groups respectively.
Article Source – Hospitality was the sector with the biggest employment drop in June – CSO – RTE
