Ireland recorded the second highest rate of job creation in the European Union during the second quarter, according to recent figures.

Data published by Eurostat, the EU's official statistics body, shows employment rose by 0.3 per cent in the European Union in the period April to June and was up by 0.4 per cent in the euro zone.

This compares to a 0.4 per cent rise in both the EU28 and the euro zone in the first three months of 2016.

Employment was up by 1.5 per cent compared to the second quarter of 2015 and up 1.4 per cent for the euro zone.

Eurostat estimates that there were 232.1 million men and women were employed in the EU28, the highest number ever recorded. In the euro zone, there were 153.3 million in work, the largest number since the fourth quarter of 2008.

Ireland recorded the second highest rate of job creation, up 1.1 per cent versus the first quarter. It came in behind Estonia at 1.7 per cent, but ahead of Lithuania, up 1 per cent.

The largest decrease in job creation was observed in Croatia, which was down 0.4 per cent compared to the previous quarter.