New job openings for professionals rise 11%

JOB openings for professionals increased by 11% in October, the first increase in seven months, the Morgan McKinley Irish Employment Monitor indicates.

The monitor, which was released yesterday, registered an increase of 11% in the number of new professional job opportunities from September (7,500) to October (8,353).

This was also significantly higher (34%) than the number of professional roles available in October 2010 (6,244).

The number of new professional job seekers held steady from September to October, going from 10,105 in September 11 to 10,080 in October 11.

There was a slight decrease (9%) when compared to the same month last year, when 11,115 people were seeking new professional career opportunities.

Karen O’Flaherty, chief operations officer at Morgan McKinley, said following six consecutive month-on-month decreases in the number of new professional job opportunities in Ireland, it was encouraging to see an 11% lift in October 11.

“Although this increase was from an unusually subdued September 11, it still reflects the growing positive mood in the Irish professional marketplace.

“The recent Small Firms Association Q3 Jobs Sentiment Survey also referred to increased confidence in the market, with 20% of employers indicating plans to hire permanent staff in the next three months.

Ms O’Flaherty said anecdotal evidence suggests that the only sector not optimistic about increasing company headcounts in 2012 is financial services.

“October 11 also saw increased hiring activity in the areas of research and development&, supply chain management, change management and manufacturing. For example, in Limerick, new job vacancies within these areas increased by 30% month-on-month.

“Senior project managers with experience in Six Sigma are in particularly high demand as companies, especially within the technology and healthcare sectors, implement change and/or innovation programmes,” she added.

Ms O’Flaherty said overall, sentiment in the Irish professional jobs market is slightly reserved yet positive.

“The US singled out Ireland for handling austerity measures effectively following a recent IDA mission led by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Burton.

“Investment prospects for the country — especially in the life sciences, medical devices and financial services sectors — are strong,” she said.