Employment in private construction firms decreased by 2.9 per cent in the 12 months between August 2001 and August 2002, according to figures released the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The CSO's monthly employment index decreased from 142.9 in August 2001 to 138.8 in August 2002.
Employment decreased by 3.0% in the twelve months between July 2001 and July 2002.