National job frequencies fall while jobseeker activity increases

National job vacancy levels continued to fall in the first three months of the year, according to the latest 'Jobs Index' from hiring platform IrishJobs.

Vacancies dropped by by 3 per cent compared to the previous quarter, and declined by 28 per cent on a year-on-year basis. 

The quarterly drop was the lowest fall in six successive quarters, which IrishJobs said reveals a resilient labour market, with indicators of a favourable outlook for the year ahead.

The index also revealed strong vacancy growth in the construction and property sectors, with quantity surveying the most in-demand role in the construction sector in the first three months of 2024.

Jobseeker activity, a measure of demand for new roles in the jobs market based on job-related keyword searches online, remains strong, increasing by 7 per cent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year. 

The Education sector experienced the highest sectoral increase (24 per cent) in vacancies since the last quarter. The increase is driven by hiring demand across third-level institutions for a range of roles, including Assistant Professors and Assistant Lecturers. The ongoing recruitment needs of the Childcare sector are also reflected in the increase in Education roles, with positions for Early Years Educators and Childcare Practitioners increasing in the first three months of the year.

Sam Dooley, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs, said "against this backdrop of continuing growth, the Q1 Index suggests a favourable outlook in the jobs market across a broad range of sectors over the coming months, with the lowest Q-o-Q decrease in job vacancies over the past six quarters.

"We can expect to see a more settled jobs market over the months ahead and steady rates of vacancy generation amid falling levels of inflation and moderate levels of growth.

"The Index also provides an opportunity to analyse change across specific sectors of the economy. The Construction sector, in particular, registered a quarterly increase in job vacancies over the past three months – a sign of continuing demand for talent to develop the residential property needed to meet Ireland’s future housing needs."