Better pay the spur for new jobs

Nearly two-thirds of the workforce is expecting to move jobs in the next year as the employment opportunities improve across the economy.

A survey carried out by recruitment specialists the Berkley Group found that nearly a third of the workforce are preparing to move jobs within six months which may cause headaches for businesses.

The main driver of churn in the jobs market is pay, with an overwhelming 92% of respondents expecting to receive a pay rise in the next 12 months.

Managing director at Berkley Group Fergal Brosnan said that as confidence grows people will increasingly seek new opportunities.

“Ireland has certainly seen high levels of activity over recent months, with companies across the board noting a lot of opportunities and more employment options becoming available. As investment in the economy continues to rise, and confidence in the market remains, this sentiment will only get stronger,” he said.

As businesses begin to increase their head count, employees are feeling increasingly secure in their roles. The survey found that 82% of respondents are less worried about their job than this time last year. This is an 18% increase on results from the end of 2013.

Mr Brosnan said that professionals should now be confident about making a leap to new jobs as the economy is picking up.

“For those professionals that have previously held off making a career move due to the economic uncertainty of recent years, now is certainly a good time to make this leap.”