Ireland facing its worst talent shortage in decade, study finds

Ireland is facing its worst talent shortage in a decade, according to a new study by Manpower Group that shows over a quarter of employers are struggling to find suitable employees.

The research suggests that the skills gap has grown by more than five times over the past 10 years, rising from 5 per cent in 2009 to 27 per cent currently.

Corporates in particular are reporting difficulties hiring with 75 per cent of companies employing 250 people or more saying they are unable to fill positions.

Manpower’s talent shortage study surveys more than 1,000 employees from a wide number of industry sectors.

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Fast-growth economy

Skilled tradespeople such as electricians, as well as engineering and healthcare professionals are in particularly short supply, according to the study.

"With the continued need for Ireland's housing and transport infrastructure to meet the demands of a fast-growth economy, the critical engineering skills to deliver these projects remain in short supply," said Manpower managing director Chris Gray.

“The last recession led many qualified and skilled professionals within the engineering sector to emigrate and simultaneously impacted on numbers of students enrolling in engineering courses. The recovery in terms of talent to deliver engineering-led solutions has not kept pace with the need itself, thus highlighting a clear talent shortage within this area.”