Hays warns of skills shortage impacting future growth as jobless rate steadies
One of the largest recruitment firms in the country has warned of skills shortages affecting business growth.
Hays Ireland said that 92% of employers have experienced skills shortages in the last 12 months.
“It’s imperative that Irish businesses future-proof their workforce to avoid skills shortage and impact on business growth,” said Hays Ireland managing director Mike McDonagh. Hays said skills shortages have negatively impacted on nearly 30% of employers’ growth plans and nearly a quarter of firms’ business development plans.
Hays’ survey into salary and recruiting trends show business intelligence analysts, quantity surveyors, auditors, banking compliance managers, construction site engineers, software engineering leads, and newly qualified accountants to be among the top in-demand jobs for this year.
However, it also found that nearly 30% of Irish employers don’t think their company has the necessary talent to achieve its objectives, while nearly 80% said they have found it difficult hiring permanent staff.
Hays’ update coincided with CSO figures showing the monthly unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8% in December, albeit being down from 5.5% a year earlier.
Although the signs are that the jobs market may have peaked, economist Alan McQuaid said: “The economy is still performing well enough for further gains in employment and another drop in the unemployment rate this year.”
