Job advertisements for November rise just 1%

THE number of job advertisements placed in Irish newspapers increased by just 1% last month compared to November 2003.

According to the Bank of Ireland Job Index, just over 16,000 recruitment ads were placed in the national media.

While the increase is much smaller than had been seen in previous months its continue the trend of monthly increases.

The bank said the public sector is showing mixed fortunes in terms of recruitment activity.

It found that the number of positions in the healthcare sector was up 22%, reflecting the overall amount being spent by the Government on the health service.

But recruitment in the education sector was down by 24% in November and by 53% on November 2002 figures.

The BoI index recorded a strong increase in position in the retail sector, up 17% in November and a reflection of the importance of the Christmas train period to shops. Professional services sector saw a 32% increase in recruitment ads, while the manufacturing sector had its first rise in five months with an 8% increase in job ads.

However, a number of other industries saw heavy falls in job vacancies with the technology market dropping 53%, reversing what had been a positive trend for some months. The financial sector has dropped for a fifth consecutive month, down 43%, leisure down 12% and construction down by 11%.

Bank of Ireland business banking director Cathal Muckian, said throughout 2004, the job index has reported a very positive trend for the labour market with all but two months experiencing a year-on-year rise in recruitment advertising.

“This confirms the confidence in the economy for business; we expect this trend to continue. The budget has also brought about some welcome changes with capital spending set to increase by over €300 million, bringing total capital spending in 2005 to €6.3 billion.

"In addition, the extension of the capital envelope of 10 years for transport infrastructure should have positive long-term effects on Irish competitiveness.”