Inflation fuels search for part-time jobs, new survey finds

The survey also showed there was an increase in people looking for jobs that required no experience.

Inflation is leading to more people searching for part-time jobs and weekend work as high costs continue to put pressure on peoples' pockets, a new survey has found.

The findings from a survey by jobseeker site Indeed indicated many of the people looking for these roles offering casual working times are parents, those who are semi-retired and younger people with few qualifications.

“These trends clearly show that jobseekers are feeling the pinch right now as wage growth sits at roughly half of inflation rates,” said Jack Kennedy, economist with Indeed.

“Salary, benefits and job security are the main priorities for them when considering their career, however it’s possible we may see less frequent job-hopping as people become wary of moving in an uncertain environment,” he said.

The survey also showed there was an increase in people looking for jobs that required no experience.

Indeed’s job postings data shows the sectors with the biggest advertised wage increases in 2022, with childcare rising 17%, information design and documentation up 13%, and IT operations and helpdesk services also climbing 13%.

However, the latest figures from the Indeed Wage Tracker show a general slowdown in wage growth in Ireland to 4.4% in December, indicating wage growth rates have fallen below their 2022 peaks and remain well below the current rate of inflation, which has eased to 8.2%.

Other findings showed the top two searches in Ireland related to visa sponsorship and healthcare assistant jobs.