Thousands more construction jobs are in the firing line, as the economic slowdown takes its toll, the body representing building employers has said.

The Construction Employers' Federation (CEF) said around 8,000 jobs have already been lost or remain at risk across Northern Ireland.

According to a survey of 20 house-builders, in the province, 3,000 jobs were wiped-out between June 2007 and June 2008.

CEF boss John Armstrong has warned the industry is at "crisis point".

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"The magnitude of the slowdown and job losses in house building will impact on the industry's supply chain," said Mr Armstrong.

Employment in civil engineering could topple by 45% if the Stormont Executive does not accelerate the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI), 12 of the Province's top 20 civil engineering employers warned.

The CEF said that house builders were also facing stocks of unsold homes.

Mr Armstrong has urged the Executive to come up with a programme to encourage first-time buyers; provide an impetuous for socially affordable housing projects; and speed-up the procurement of ISNI projects.

He said: "This sector has been a major driver of growth over the past decade, to let it collapse now would take a generation to recover."

(PR/JM)