The latest data from IrishJobs shows a persistent decline in the availability of total remote working roles in Ireland’s job market throughout the third quarter. Even so, the number of posts offering a combination of home-based and office working remained steady amid robust demand for jobs in fields like construction and engineering. The annual rate of hiring growth eased during the same period, signifying a more conservative employment market. Compared to the preceding quarter, new job listings were down 4%, representing a yearly decrement of 13%.
The IrishJobs report highlighted that less than 2% of job opportunities offered entirely remote work, reaching its lowest level in nearly four years. This mirrors a trend observed over recent quarters. In contrast, positions offering a blend of home and office duties have featured in between 11.2% and 12.4% of job postings over the past one-and-a-half years. Job seekers have shown a significant inclination towards such hybrid work, with IrishJobs registering an annual surge of 46% in related searches. This contrasts with a 9% annual gain in searches for fully remote roles.
Large multinationals reinstating office working has caused ripples in workplaces not only in Ireland but globally,” said IrishJobs’ country director, Sam Dooley. “Hybrid work, becoming a more permanent feature of the job market, is evident as we analyse the working models from job listings over the course of the pandemic.”
Employers in Ireland’s competitive job market are increasingly integrating hybrid work models as part of their strategy to accommodate the growing employee desire for flexibility. The IrishJobs Q3 Index also revealed that ‘domestic’ sectors like property, retail, arts, and entertainment outpaced international sectors like banking, finance, and IT in job listings. Notably, over the past quarter, the construction industry surpassed IT in terms of job openings, representing 5.3% of all vacancies.
According to the latest figures, the construction industry has seen a decrease of 15 per cent in vacancies on a quarterly basis. However, indicators of long-term trends paint a brighter picture with a surge of 31 per cent noted in hiring over the year, marking a near-third increase in open positions compared to the same time frame in 2023. Also noteworthy is the significant 29 per cent rise in the property sector. Quantity surveyors, environment, health & safety advisers and construction managers are among the most sought-after roles.
In the most recent quarter, the industry was a leading generator of job opportunities, overtaking the IT sector for the second quarter in a row, indicates Mr Doorley. The high demand for construction as a result of ambitious housing objectives is likely to maintain this trend.
The last three months saw the catering sector, inclusive of the hard-pressed hospitality industry, accounting for 11 per cent of the total job openings. However, the technology sector experienced a decrease, with a reduction of 10 per cent in the last quarter’s openings, signifying that the sector has not yet bounced back following substantial lay-offs in the past few years.