The number of jobs advertised in national newspapers rose by 30 per cent between April and May, according to new research from Bank of Ireland Business Banking.

The bank's chief economist, Dr Dan McLaughlin, said the research showed "an encouraging bounce" in the jobs market, which had been distorted in April by the US-led conflict in Iraq.

"Ireland has survived the global downturn remarkably well," Dr McLaughlin said, predicting that unemployment levels may not now rise as high as many economists expect.

The Bank of Ireland Business Banking Jobs Index reached 116 last month, up sharply from 89 in April, and almost reaching levels achieved one year previously. The index is calculated according to a baseline of 100, which is taken to be the mean number of jobs advertised each month in the period between April last year and March this year.

The research recorded a particular surge in professional services, with jobs advertised in the area in May rising by 76 per cent on the same month of 2002. In total, 5,087 professional services jobs were advertised over the month.

The bank also highlighted signs of recovery in the manufacturing sector, with recruitment in the area reaching its highest level since March last year and rising by 22 per cent since May 2002. When the private sector is taken as a whole, job advertisements rose by 8 per cent over the year and 3 per cent in the three months ending in May.

Education job advertisements were up by 11 per cent when compared with May 2002, while construction advertisements rose by 2 per cent. Healthcare recruitment continued to suffer, however, as advertisements in the sector almost halved in the year to May.

Agricultural and financial job advertisements were also down by almost 50 per cent, the research shows.

The number of jobs advertised in IT and telecoms fell by 40 per cent over the year, while retail advertisements were down by 25 per cent.