THERE HAS BEEN a huge spike in number of vacancies in the finance, tech, engineering and HR sectors.

According to Morgan McKinley Monthly Employment Monitor, the number of professional candidates available has fallen from 9,670 in September 2013 to 8,930 in August 2014 and further to 7,400 in September 2014.

The latest report shows that though the number of available candidates has fallen, there has been an increase of almost 30% in the number of professional job vacancies.

In September 2014 there were 10,572 vacancies compared to September 2013, where there was just 8,184.

In demand

Due to vacancies exceeding the number of people to fill the roles, salaries are increasing in sectors from IT to accounting.

Morgan McKinley Ireland COO, Karen O’Flaherty said that the latest results show the vitality of the professional jobs market with vacancies opening up across all sectors, but also the favourable position that many job seekers are now in, adding:

Professionals seeking employment are aware of the market conditions and are more active in considering offers, especially since counter offers are now prevalent in areas such as tech and accounting and finance.Intriguingly, professional job seekers are also becoming savvier when it comes to potential employers and, as opposed to just examining the benefits packages on offer, are looking at the culture and values of the company.

She said there has been a continuation in tech where there is a huge demand for permanent positions in niche areas like .Net and Java. However, she said there are not enough professionals available to fill the positions.

What can you offer me?

“For those that are moving, the entire benefits package is key with tech employees looking for packages that include bonuses, flexibility to work from home as well as healthcare on offer,” said O’Flaherty.

There has also been a notable increase within the SME sector for senior level finance manager roles and the banking sector has also seen steady growth.

While employers are reporting a skills shortage in some areas, they said they are seeking to employ locally as opposed to searching abroad to fill positions. 

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