The number of workers laid off from their jobs in 2005 was the lowest since 2001, according to official figures, writes Barry O'Halloran

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment yesterday released redundancy figures for 2005 showing that a total of 23,156 workers were laid off during 2005, compared with 25,041 in 2004.

The number was the lowest since 2001, when 16,085 people lost their jobs. Last year was also the second consecutive year in which the total number of redundancies fell.

But the figures show a sharp increase in the number of redundancies notified to the department during December.

That stood at 1,650, a 25 per cent jump on the same month in 2004, when it came in at 1,321. This was also the sharpest increase in notified redundancies during 2005.

However, the overall trend for 2005 was down. The cumulative total fell in every month except March.

A number of high profile redundancy announcements contributed to the 2005 job loss total.

During the first half of the year, troubled luxury goods group, Waterford Wedgewood announced it would be laying off 485 of its Irish workers as part of a global shake-up that would see it cut 1,800 from its payroll.

Electronics company, Magna Donnelly, laid off 245 workers during the summer. In the same sector, the sudden closure of Bilcon led to 170 people losing their jobs.

The closure of the Donegal-based subsidiary of US pharmaceutical manufacturer, Hospira, led to 560 redundancies.

The northwest region was particularly hard hit, as Clubman shirts in Buncrana also announced its closure and the laying off of 67 people, while Fruit of the Loom revealed that it would be bringing forward its closure and redundancy plans.

C&C-owned crisp manufacturer Tayto said that it planned to close its facility in Dublin and contract out production, with the loss of 100 jobs.