Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 61: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people in employment here in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3933/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of people in employment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey or QNHS and published by the Central Statistics Office. Statistics are available on a quarterly basis only.

The most recent data on employment levels in each of the past five years (on a year on year quarterly basis) are set out in the following table:

The number of persons in employment decreased by 25,200 or -1.2% year on year (Quarter 3 2007 to Quarter 3 2008) bringing the total in employment to 2,120,800, the first annual decline in employment since 1991. This recent decline comes after many years of extraordinary growth in the labour force and employment. Since 2004 (Quarter 3) to 2008 (Quarter 3), employment has grown by 227,700 with unemployment increasing by 66,700 in the same period.