As the economy bounced back in 2021, the job market surged. Our analysis of job posting on Jobs.ie shows that vacancies were up 170% in Q3 compared to the same time last year. This acceleration in hiring translated into a fierce demand for talent. However, hesitant job seeking activity combined with well-documented skills shortages created what many have described as a hiring bottleneck.
So which workers were most in-demand in 2021? As well as advertising their vacancies on Jobs.ie, many recruiters also used our CV database, TalentBank, to search for the best people to fill their key roles. We took a deep dive into this year’s data and examined the recruiter searches of the over one million jobseekers to find out which professionals were most in-demand with Jobs.ie employers across 2021.
Chef
The Restaurants Association estimate there is a shortage of 7,000 chefs within the hospitality sector in Ireland, so it can come as no surprise that Chefs are the most in-demand professionals with employers on Jobs.ie this year. Pre-pandemic the Government moved to increase the number of employment permits open to Chefs and discussions are currently underway to secure more work permits for hospitality workers.
Childcare Practitioner
Jobs in education, childcare & training rose by 40% in Q3 2021 compared to the same time last year. As a result, searches for experienced Childcare Practitioners in TalentBank increased as employers sought to fill their key roles. The government’s plans to extend the universal subsidy, which helps parents meet the costs of childcare, to all children aged under 15 means it’s unlikely that the requirement for experienced Childcare Practitioners will ease any time soon.
Mechanic
Experienced mechanics were much in demand with employers in 2021, with jobs in the industry up 91% in Q3 of 2021 compared to the same period twelve months earlier. As the motor trades continues to transition to electric vehicles it’s predicted that the need for experienced trained technicians will only get stronger.
Sales
As pandemic restrictions loosened consumer confidence and spending returned, and employer searches for Salespeople in TalentBank rose accordingly. Our most recent data shows that the number of jobs posted for sales professionals is now 126% higher than the same period pre-pandemic. With the Irish economy predicted to grow by 5.1% in 2022 the need for experienced salespeople will continue.
Quantity Surveyor
Responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects, Quantity Surveyors were much sought after this year. In its Housing for all Plan, the Government estimates that Ireland will need an average of 33,000 new homes each year from 2021 to 2030 so demand for experienced Quantity Surveyors can only escalate in the coming years.
To learn how TalentBank can support your hiring please talk to your Jobs.ie Account Manager or click on the box below to get in touch.
