The number of job vacancies remained unchanged in the second quarter of 2024, the first time in two years there was no quarterly decline in vacancies.
Hiring platform IrishJobs has today published its Jobs Index for the last three months which it said showed signs of a positive trajectory in the jobs market amid steadier rates of vacancy generation.
The data revealed that 19 sectors, primarily across the domestic economy, posted quarterly vacancy gains.
These included catering, skilled trades, health and retail.
There were quarterly vacancy declines in export-led sectors such as manufacturing and science.
The data suggests that subdued global economic conditions continue to temper hiring activity in the internationally traded sectors.
There were also decreases in vacancies in the IT and construction sectors, but both industries were among the largest sources of job postings.
Working-from-home vacancies
Fully remote/working-from-home vacancies decreased by 23% in the second quarter of the year.
The proportion of working-from-home vacancies to overall vacancies has dropped to 2.2%, down from its highest level of 3.3% in the third quarter of 2023.
“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,” said Sam Dooley, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs.
Mr Dooley said: “Over the coming months we can expect to see greater stability in vacancy rates.
“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.”
