Employment prospects may improve in the Republic of Ireland as a report reveals it is showing signs of recovering from the downturn of recent years.

According to the study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the nation's economy continues to face challenges but its long-term prospects are brightening.

The Paris-based agency's Economic Survey of Ireland suggests exports from Ireland are rising and growth is expected to stand at 1.2 per cent for this year, as competitiveness increases.

Presented in Dublin, the report also highlights the continued threat from the euro crisis and called on the government to continue meeting its fiscal consolidation targets, broaden the tax base and tackle unemployment through better programs for job seekers and welfare reform.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office recently reported that the standardised rate of joblessness reduced during September 2011 from 14.4 per cent the previous month to 14.3 per cent, with the live register down year-on-year by 1.1 per cent to 437,441.

Posted by Alex Donnell