Employment Monitor - December 2009

 

Monitoring the pulse of the Irish professional jobs market

Ireland’s hiring market ends 2009 on a positive note

Highlights

  • During December 09, the number of new job vacancies in Ireland increased by 3% compared to November 09
  • The year-on-year monthly comparison of new jobs showed an increase of 23% - the first rise since February 08
  • The number of professionals beginning a new job search in December 09 declined by 30% compared to November 09
  • The year-on-year monthly comparison showed the first increase registered throughout 2009, a small but significant rise in new candidates of 0.27%

 

Irish professional jobs market shows monthly and yearly improvement

The Irish professional jobs market saw a second consecutive increase in new jobs compared to the previous month with a rise of 3% from 4,432 in November 09 to 4,587 in December 09.  A year-on-year monthly increase was also registered for the first time since February 08; the 4,587 new jobs in December 09 showing significant improvement from the 3,743 new positions in December 08.  Bucking the usual trend for a decline in job vacancies over the Christmas period, these figures indicate that businesses in Ireland are starting to show signs of renewed confidence.

Seasonal factors did appear to have an impact on the number of new professionals looking for jobs in December.  Compared to November 09, there were 30% fewer individuals looking for jobs across Ireland in December 09 with a decrease from 10,830 to 7,560.  Compared to December 08, there was a small increase from 7,540 to 7,560 – which also suggests a cautious return to confidence in the hiring market amongst job hunters.

Brian Murphy, Managing Director of Premier Group in Ireland comments:
"Traditionally the number of new professional jobs in the month of December is lower than other months, so we were pleased to see that the number of job vacancies in December 09 held up so well and even showed a small increase on the November figures. As the year comes to a close many employers put hiring on hold until January so the increase was a very welcome and hopefully positive sign that 2010 may herald better times for professionals seeking new opportunities in Ireland".

"The increase from December 08 to December 09 brought to an end a sequence of 21 consecutive months of year-on-year monthly declines in new job numbers.
The last increase was registered in February 2008. The December figures provide further hope that the bottom of the market has been reached and we can look forward to the new decade with significantly more confidence than that with which we entered 2009".

"The number of professionals entering the jobs market in December 09 showed a significant decrease on the November figure. However this decrease is consistent with the pattern from previous years and is reflective of the holiday period at the end of December and the reluctance of many professionals to become active in the market when they perceive that activity will be less robust as Christmas comes closer. We expect these figures to normalise when the January 2010 Irish Employment Monitor figures are released".


Chart: New jobs v. new candidates
 

- ENDS -

 

 

Notes to editors
Further press information:

Cian Connaughton
MKC Communications
Tel: + 353 87 6480809
Email: cian@mkc.ie


About the Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor

The Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor measures the pulse of the Irish professional jobs market by tracking the number of new job vacancies and new candidates within the Republic of Ireland each month. The first Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor was launched in May 2009 with data from April 2008 onwards.

Statistical methodology

Monthly new jobs and new candidates
Monthly new jobs and new candidate figures are based on Premier Group’s own monthly records of new permanent job vacancies and new candidates registering with the firm for permanent employment. Statistics for the full market are derived using Premier Group’s own market share.

Job classification
Job vacancies are professional level roles within the following sectors and functions; Banking & Financial Services, Commerce & Industry Finance, Insurance, Public Practice & Tax, Legal, HR, IT, Life Sciences, Engineering, Process & Manufacturing, Professional Services, Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, Secretarial & Office Support.

Geography
The data is based on new job vacancies and new candidates registered with Premier Group’s network of Irish offices in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford.

About Premier Group

Premier Group is Ireland's leading recruitment consultancy with offices in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Waterford. Internationally, the Group operates from 24 offices across eight countries. Subsidiary brands within Premier Group in Ireland include Accreate Executive Search & Interim, Brunel, la crème, Premier, and Verkom. Morgan McKinley and iQ selection also form part of the Premier Group outside of Ireland.

http://www.premiergroup.ie/

Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor

Premier Group currently publishes a similar monitor in London under its subsidiary brand name, Morgan McKinley. The highly regarded Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor was launched in 2004 and reports on the new roles, candidates and salaries within the financial services jobs market in London each month. Visit http://www.morganmckinley.co.uk/ for details.