Today, Premier.ie shared some of their observations about the state of play in the Irish employment market. You can learn more here.
Highlights
* The number of new professional job vacancies in the Irish jobs market during June 09 fell 11% compared with the previous month (May 09); its lowest level so far
this year
* This was also a drop of 72% in new job opportunities versus the same month the previous year (June 08)
* The number of Irish professionals who began their search for a new role during June 09 increased slightly versus May 09, registering an increase of 6%
* Compared to a year ago (June 08), the number of new candidates entering the professional jobs market was down 47%.
Rate of decline in job volumes levels off during first half of 2009
During June 09, there were 72% fewer new Irish professional job vacancies compared with the same month the previous year (June 08) as the lack of visibility within the employment market and the economy continued to slow recruitment activity. Figures from the third Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor also showed an 11% fall in new roles versus May 09, ending three consecutive months of minor growth. However, when comparing new job figures for the first half of 2009 to the latter half of 2008, there has been a definite levelling off in the rate of decline.
There was a 6% increase in the number of Irish professionals who began their search for a new role during June 09 compared with May 09, amid more redundancy announcements and a tighter jobs market. However, there were still 47% fewer new jobseekers than there were during the same month the previous year (June 08).
Brian Murphy, Managing Director of Premier Group in Ireland comments:
“The Irish professional jobs market deteriorated further during June 09 as many organisations continued to put their recruitment plans on hold as they try to gain more visibility on the health of the Irish economy. While it’s certainly disappointing to see three months of mild growth come to an end, the general jobs trend for the first half of 2009 is slightly more positive; the rate of decline within the professional jobs market has effectively levelled off. During the second half of last year, the Irish market experienced a huge decline in new job numbers however, during the first half of this year, despite remaining at extremely suppressed levels, they have stayed relatively steady from month to month.
“At present, it’s evident that jobseekers in Ireland are facing one of the toughest periods for employment in many years. The recruitment market is so delicate that it’s impossible to make any solid forecasts other than that the next few months are unlikely to get any easier. We’re entering the typically slow summer season, which is likely to prompt more volatility to the flow of new jobs coming onto the market.”
