Firms hiring in niche areas on the rise

JOB hunters received a much-needed boost with the revelation that more professional vacancies are open now than at any time since October 2008 as firms increase hiring in niche areas.

Research shows that there has been a need for corporate restructuring roles, particularly in larger multinational firms.

Companies are also on the hunt for professionals with experience in IT development.

Recruitment firm Morgan McKinley said research and development experience is also in extremely high demand, and for the first time in several years they are seeing acute skills deficits in this area.

“Certain areas of the financial services sector are also gaining momentum with regard to hiring.

“Demand for multilingual professionals and commercial accountants is on an upward curve, and although multinational corporations continue to offer the highest volume of positions, it is encouraging to see several indigenous companies increase, or plan to increase their headcounts.

“This is hopefully the start of an anticipated revival in this sector,” said chief operations officer with Premier Group Ireland, Karen O’Flaherty.

According to the Morgan McKinley Irish employment monitor, the number of new professional jobs in the market last month increased by 39% to 7,250 from December 2010. This also reflected a 37% increase year-on-year from January last year.

However, when compared to January last year, there was a significant year-on-year drop of 48% in the number of professionals entering the jobs market last month.

The number of professionals seeking new employment opportunities last month increased by 23% from December 2010, rising from 5,365 to 6,595.

“January 2011 saw a significant increase in new professional job opportunities coming onto the market compared to the previous month and compared to the same time last year.

“It is worth noting that this rebound, although positive, was from a particularly low December 2010 volume caused by disruptive weather events, the Government’s EU/IMF bailout announcement in late November 10 and other seasonal factors,” said Ms O’Flaherty.

She said that economic indicators and anecdotal evidence from employers point towards a more positive start to the year for the professional jobs market.

“Job creation is firmly on the agenda in the lead up to the general election,” she added.