Thu, 7 Jun 2012

The number of permanent professional jobs in Ireland available in May fell by 5% compared with the same month last year, according to the Morgan McKinley Employment Monitor.

The monitor also recorded a 12% decrease in the number of new professional jobs in May compared with April, the second consecutive monthly decrease.

On the other hand, there was a 39% increase in the number of professional jobseekers in May when compared with a year ago, and a 22% rise month-on-month.

Commenting on the results, Karen O’Flaherty, chief operations officer, Morgan McKinley, says: “The current instability and turmoil within the European Union and international financial markets, in particular the focus on Greece and Spain, has certainly impacted confidence in the Irish hiring market.

“Recent market sentiment has shown an increase in the number of contract and temporary roles coming onto the market. This is not reflected in the Irish Employment Monitor, which only tracks Ireland’s permanent professional jobs. Temporary contracts are considered flexible, cost-effective hiring solutions and are popular during times of uncertainty or holiday periods.

“Despite the fall in the number of new professional jobs available in May 2012, there is evidence of jobseekers within the technical, IT and multilingual sectors receiving multiple job offers, reflecting continued demand within certain market sectors.”