Ireland’s employment market showed more positive signs in the second quarter of the year, as vacancies remained steady compared to the previous quarter.
This was the first time that quarterly vacancies have not declined since 2022, and 19 sectors showed gains.
But annual figures showed growth was moderating, with a 25 per cent decline in job vacancies posted compared with the same period in 2023, according to the latest index from recruitment company IrishJobs.
And the number of fully remote job vacancies fell by almost a quarter, pointing to a further reduction in the level of fully remote home working in Ireland in 2024.
On a quarterly basis rises were seen in catering, skilled trades, health, retail, property and logistics, along with other predominantly domestic sectors.
The index pointed to a rise of 5 per cent in health sector vacancies, with the recent suspension of the recruitment embargo at the Health Service Executive likely to increase demand for staff.
There was also a large number of vacancies in the IT sector, despite the lay-offs it experienced in recent years. The index showed the sector had a 2 per cent decline quarter on quarter in the past three months, with automation, software and security engineers among the most in-demand roles.
The construction sector saw a decline of 4 per cent in posted vacancies but still remained a key sector, accounting for 4.76 per cent of all job postings.
There was a decrease in vacancy generation across indigenous exporters and Irish-based multinationals, with quarter-on-quarter declines in manufacturing and science, indicating global economic conditions continued to weigh on hiring activity.
“The jobs market is on a positive and steady trajectory following a period of significant volatility. Quarterly vacancies have not fallen for the first time in eight successive quarters, indicating the end of a cycle of heightened volatility in the jobs market.
Over the coming months we can expect to see greater stability in vacancy rates,” said Sam Dooley, country director of the Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs.
“The index also analyses changes in job vacancies across different sectors of the economy. Significantly, domestic-orientated sectors are largely outperforming internationally traded sectors such as manufacturing and science. This positive performance at the national level may be driven by a rise in real income among the population. Rising wages and falling levels of inflation mean that many households can increase discretionary spending and contribute to service-led growth in the domestic economy.”
