Professional job opportunities rise 46%

DEVELOPERS, agri-food and fund administration staff are all in high demand in Ireland as figures show, as overall professional job opportunities increased 46% in the last quarter.

Fri, 08 Jul, 2011 - 01:00

Niamh Hennessy

Recruitment agency Morgan McKinley said that in niche areas of the market, acute candidate shortages are being felt.

It said it is very difficult to find suitable professionals for IT development roles and the recruitment process can be protracted as top-tier job seekers in this sector are often “spoilt for choice”.

Also another busy jobs market and area to watch is fund administration, it said.

A number of companies are seeking fund administration staff, some initially on a contract or temporary basis, off the back of recent business wins or expansion plans.

Chief operations officer with Premier Group Ireland, Karen O’Flaherty, said export-driven multinational and indigenous companies are still leading the way in terms of hiring activity.

“The agriculture sector in particular is thriving and is at the core of the country’s economic recovery. Food is among Ireland’s biggest exports and last week the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney announced a 13% increase in agri-food exports in the January to May 2011 period.

“This growth has fuelled demand from agri-businesses and companies that service this sector for professionals, in particular finance and accountancy specialists,” she said.

The figures also show that there was a 21% decrease in the number of new professional job seekers in June, compared with the same time last year.

The latest Morgan McKinley Irish Employment Monitor found that the number of new professional job opportunities in the Irish market did not fluctuate significantly from May this year (8,283) to June (8,250).

There was a month-on-month increase of 8% in the number of new professional job seekers in Ireland rising from 9,120 in May to 9,855 in June.

The company said that July and August are traditionally quieter months for recruitment, with many hiring managers and job seekers taking breaks.