Over 30,000 construction jobs in Northern Ireland could be a risk by the end of next year due to cuts in the public program.

The Construction Employers' Federation has warned that the Northern Ireland Executive must act quickly to avoid disaster. Since 2007 over 21,000 people have lost their jobs.

"If that sort of rate continues there will be well over 30,000 jobs lost from the sector by the end of 2011," said Federation manager, Ciaran Fox.

"A continuation of this rate of job losses is almost inevitable if the Executive decides to reduce spending on building and maintaining our infrastructure."

If necessary spending cuts were made in lower priority areas Fox believes that thousands of jobs could be saved.

"Pound for pound, very few spending areas can rival the economic and social benefits provided through investment in construction," he said.

Construction in Northern Ireland is at its lowest level for the past decade. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said that more Northern Irish members were reporting a decline in workloads that in the rest of the U.K.