Around one in every eight jobs in Co Louth could be at risk in the event of a hard Brexit.
That’s the warning from business group Ibec in its latest Quartery Economic Outlook report for Q2 2017, released today.
The report finds that 12% of jobs in Louth could be at risk if a hard Brexit transpires.
Despite the county’s proximity to the Border, the Wee County is one of the least exposed counties due to its urban nature.
Those in the agriculture sector are most at risk with 5% of the agri-food sector in Louth exposed according to the report.
The counties with the highest exposure to a ‘hard Brexit’ are Cavan (28%), Monaghan (27%), Kerry (22%) and Longford (21%) with over one in five workers in each of those counties employed in exposed sectors.
Ibec has warned that Brexit challenges pose “significant risks to exporting sectors, hitting regional economies and employment hardest”.
“No matter what the outcome, Brexit will hurt both our indigenous exporters and rural regions disproportionately. Budget 2018 must include measures to protect these vulnerable sectors,” Ibec’s head of tax and fiscal policy Gerard Brady said.
