About 280 jobs - including forklift driver positions - are up for grabs at the new Ikea furniture store which opens in July at Ballymun, Dublin.

The Irish Times reported 4,000 people, including many who did not live anywhere near the new store, queued up at the Ballymun Civic Centre over the weekend to inquire about the vacancies.

Ikea wants to employ 500 people at the Ballymun store, its second store in Ireland following Ikea Belfast, which opened in December 2007. All of its managerial positions have been filled and the 280 entry-level jobs are in logistics, sales, check-out positions, food service and customer service.

"Apart from the forklift drivers, we're not looking for any qualifications although some require experience but all that will be clear when people apply online," says human resources manager Sharon Moran.

Forklift driver Michael Harold was among the crowd who came to the open day on Sunday. With over 20 years' experience driving forklifts, he wanted to know why he had been turned down for a job with Ikea without an interview.

"I've been out of work since Christmas. I was looking at the video they have here on the job and I could do it blindfolded. I know of someone who got one of the jobs with one year's experience. I just want them to tell me why," Harold says.

Ikea had organised two open days last weekend to provide information on the available positions. Applications close next Friday and must be made online. To apply for a job with Ikea, Dublin go to http://ikea.ie/recruitment/.