In the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum in the UK, job searches in Ireland skyrocketed 250pc. The numbers are still high 100 days later.
The ‘Brexit bounce’ in terms of Irish job searches is evidently hanging around, after Indeed released figures showing 100 days of data since the landmark referendum.
Looking at millions of searches made by UK-based jobseekers, Indeed found figures 20pc above average, showing consistent interest in Irish employment.
Indeed originally showed a 250pc spike in searches in the 24 hours immediately after the referendum. But today’s figures show the overall numbers were higher in September than in the immediate four weeks after the vote.
Interestingly, searches from elsewhere in the EU were also up, to a lesser degree, with non-UK EU searches now representing almost 10pc of Indeed’s total number (up from 7pc).
“We now see that the increase in people looking at jobs outside the UK post-Brexit is both sustained and increasing,” said Mariano Mamertino, EMEA economist at Indeed.
“As the only English-speaking EU member, with the fastest growth rate and flexible labour markets, Ireland is well placed to attract these labour flows and potentially additional foreign direct investment.
“British Prime Minister Theresa May’s confirmation of the date to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017 now makes a ‘Hard Brexit’ look more likely, and some of the commentary on immigrant labour from UK Cabinet members could unnerve foreign workers and make them consider other options, thereby driving a further spike in October,” he said.
Beyond Ireland, other English-speaking countries have received an uplift in job searches, with Australia up 13pc and Canada up 10pc. Throughout, the EU figures are up on average 7pc.
Last July, recruiter Morgan McKinley suggested that the Brexit vote may well lead people in this direction. Immediate inertia in terms of company expansions was suggested to be met with a flow of workers crossing the Irish sea from the UK.
“Within financial services, Brexit may increase the flow of candidates and jobs from London back to the Irish market,” said Morgan McKinley’s COO Karen O’Flaherty at the time.
While as yet there are no signs of companies making the move, the level of interest from employees is telling.
Looking for jobs in tech or science? Check out our Employer Profiles for information on companies hiring right now.
