Businesses report increase in vacancies

THE number of businesses reporting job vacancies doubled in the first three months of the year, according to a new survey by state employment agency FÁS and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The survey found 10% of firms were actively trying to fill vacancies at the end of March, which was up from 5% at the end of December. FÁS said the figures showed a return to the pattern seen throughout most of last year, when there was strong growth in the number of people in employment.

The services sector was the biggest winner, as the number of firms with unfilled jobs went up from 6% in December to 14% in March. But the labour market in the retail sector was finely balanced, with just 1% of employers reporting vacancies. This was largely unchanged from December.