Irish businesses are hiring at a rate not seen since just before the crash in 2007, according to a survey of employer sentiment.

The latest KBC Bank / Chartered Accountants Ireland Business Sentiment survey found number of firms reporting increased numbers at work rose during the second quarter rose to 36 per cent from 33 per cent the previous quarter.

While the increase is relatively modest, this is the highest reading for this element of the survey since the summer of 2007, the survey said.

Some 56 per cent of businesses reported an increase in activity during the period, again the highest level since 2007, with only 12 per cent reporting a decline.

“These responses point towards healthy conditions across a broad swathe of Irish business,” the survey said.

Overall, the survey’s main sentiment index, which is based on responses from 397 chartered accountants working in senior positions in Irish firms, declined marginally to 121.8 from 122.2 in the previous quarter.

“Because the index is constructed to measure changes in economic conditions, this hints at a marginally slower pace of growth in activity in the coming quarter,” the survey said.