A substantial drop-off of 8pc in professional job opportunities in Ireland in comparison to this time last year comes as a bit of a surprise, though a larger drop-off in jobseekers offsets those figures.
According to Morgan McKinley, a rise in job opportunities of 2pc between June and July was overshadowed by an 8pc drop on this time last year.
However, the report also found that 19pc fewer professionals were seeking a new role this July, while the usual suspects of pharma, medtech and IT continue to lead the way in terms of growth.
Within IT, big data is the major driver of jobs activity, as technology continues to cross over into different areas of business.
Jobs in Ireland
Financial services, in general, is doing well, thanks to a resurgence in funds and compliance opportunities, while Brexit has made SMEs rethink their accounting and finance strategies.
Calling jobs growth in July “relatively steady ”, Karen O’Flaherty, Morgan McKinley’s COO, said it was seasonal factors that saw a reduction in those seeking new jobs.
“Concerns remain about the availability of talent, particularly in the IT and multilingual sectors. Technology is crossing over every sector and developing hybrid skill sets is more necessary than ever,” she added.
Turkish, Nordic and Dutch languages were the most in demand in multilingual roles in July.
Upskilling the key
“The notion of upskilling is not new but the speed and pace of change, driven by technology, means almost all jobs require additional learning to stay relevant. A national skills transfer programme should be prioritised to ensure we have a flexible and resilient workforce.”
O’Flaherty said Brexit has not been fully experienced just yet, though a “recalibration of hiring forecasts and skill sets for certain employers depending on their sector, size and specialisation” is almost certain.
“Overall, we have again seen consistency rather than growth this month. Most HR departments are taking a business-as-usual approach to resource planning as the fallout from external political and economic developments is analysed.”
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Main jobs in Ireland interview image via Shutterstock
