Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 104: To ask the Taoiseach the key sectors of the economy in which jobs have been lost since the first quarter of 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5798/12]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of estimates of employment in the State. It should be noted that the specific information regarding job losses requested by the deputy is not available as the QNHS is a measure of the level of employment only. Changes in the level of employment therefore are a function of both jobs lost and jobs created over the period in question. The most recent figures available for employment levels are for the third quarter of 2011.

Estimates of the level of employment by sector up to and including the third quarter of 2011 are presented in the table below. Given the seasonal nature of changes in employment across the year the estimates presented have been seasonally adjusted. Between the first and third quarters of 2011 there has been some level of fluctuation in numbers employed across all sectors of the economy with increases being recorded in some cases and decreases being recorded in others. As mentioned in the first paragraph above, a decline in employment in a sector is not a measure of the jobs lost within that sector. As the QNHS is a sample survey the CSO urges some caution in interpreting changes of relatively low orders of magnitude.