Professional job opportunities down 10%

New job opportunities for Irish professionals decreased 10 per cent between October and November, according to the latest Morgan McKinley employment monitor.

The research found that the number of new professional job openings declined from 9,684 in October to 8,704 in November.

Year on year, the number of professional roles available in Ireland declined 6 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of professionals entering the employment market fell by 22 per cent from 9,355 in October to 7,320 in November.

This was also a marked increase (25 per cent) when compared to the 9,750 people seeking new career opportunities during the same month last year.

Morgan McKinley chief operations officer Karen O’Flaherty said hiring managers are citing budget restrictions as one reason for not increasing permanent headcount as we near year end.

While a major recruitment trend throughout recent years has been in the temporary market, she said there is a definite shift towards companies offering permanent contracts.

“Senior professionals are in demand in a number of key areas including human resources, office support and marketing. Furthermore, some of these job titles with specific skills sets, including language requirements, are commanding a 10 per cent to 15 per cent increase in salaries being offered, a trend not seen for a number of years.”