Almost a quarter of employers in the Republic are likely to hire new workers over the next three months, but a further 11 per cent will cut back on staff numbers, according to a survey published yesterday.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS) shows 23 per cent of the 850 businesses questioned are planning to increase their workforces in three months to the end of September.

The survey's "employment outlook" - the net percentage of companies planning to increase their workforce - is 12 per cent, because 11 per cent of businesses are planning to cut back.

The survey, which is carried out quarterly on the island as a whole, shows that the employment market here is relatively stable.

The forecast employment outlook for the third quarter marks just a 1 per cent increase on the three months to the end of this month.

Two-thirds of employers plan to maintain current workforce numbers.

The study paints a buoyant picture of Northern Ireland, with 28 per cent of companies planning to increase their numbers, while just 3 per cent intend to cut back.

Mr Jason Kennedy, managing director of Manpower Skillsgroup, which produces the survey, said the stagnant outlook reflected increased uncertainty in the marketplace.

Manpower Skillsgroup is a multinational and carries out the same survey every quarter around the world.

Mr Kennedy said yesterday that Ireland was continuing to perform well against the global economy.

"Only Spain and the UK outperformed us in Europe and only Australia outperformed us in the rest of the world," he said.

Meanwhile, another study carried out by recruitment company Rescon said that one quarter of contractors in information technology had been out of work for a given period.

But its figures for the first three months of the years showed opportunities in the information technology sector grew by 44 per cent.

It said that software companies appeared to be expanding their testing and developing teams.