Irish workers 'taking low-paid jobs'

The worsening state of the Irish job market is forcing many people to find employment in positions vacated by eastern Europeans, it has emerged.

According to the Times, Irish workers and students are turning to low-paid jobs, such as cleaning, catering and security, in order to make a living.

Fionnuala Smyth, a senior employment officer at Ireland's national training and employment authority Fas, commented: "Irish people are taking in the reality that it's not as easy as it once was to find the job they want."

Meanwhile, Michael Kavanagh, managing director of The Real Dirtbusters, said his firm has experienced a 20 per cent increase in the number of Irish natives applying for cleaning jobs compared to 12 months ago.

In related news, the Belfast Telegraph reported that an average of 680 jobs were lost every week in Ireland from January to August.

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