There were 1,982 redundancies in Feburary, taking the official total for the number of people who have lost their jobs this year to 4,299, according to figures from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The number of redundancies in February represents a 20 per cent increase on February 2005, while the number of jobs lost in January was over 40 per cent higher than the same month the previous year.

On a cumulative basis, the number of people laid off so far this year has increased 30 per cent on the number that had been laid off by this point in 2005.

Some 23,156 people were made redundant last year. This was the lowest number of jobs lost since 2001, when 16,085 people were made redundant.

Last week, Japanese electronics giant NEC announced that it was cutting 350 jobs following its decision to close its plant in Ballivor, Co Meath. Procter & Gamble also let go 75 people at its pharmaceutical plant in Nenagh, Co Tipperar.

Cork has been badly hit by redundancies this year, with 180 jobs at hearing aid manufacturer GN ReSound lost as the company announced it was to transfer its manufacturing base to China.

Some 76 jobs were lost at Keating's Bakery in Kanturk, Co Cork, while there were 84 redundancies at call centre company CIMS at Mahon, Co Cork.

Also among last month's job cut announcements was the loss of 53 jobs at bicycle component manufacturing plant SRAM Ireland in Carrick-on-Suir and 59 jobs at Platters Food in Sligo.

In January, consumer goods company Unilever Ireland announced it was to cut 84 jobs, Glen Dimplex cut 70 manufacturing jobs in Tralee, toymaker Hasbro cut 34 jobs at its factory in Waterford and 25 jobs were lost at the Drogheda-based food additive company Flavours and Fragrances.

C&D Petfood in Co Longford laid off 250 after a fire at its factory in January.