PROFESSIONAL JOB VACANCIES are on the rise, with a ten per cent increase recorded in the first quarter of the year.

New data released by management consultancy Morgan McKinley show the increase over the first quarter of last year, despite a decrease of four per cent when compared to February 2014.

Conversely, the number of professional job seekers in the Irish market has fallen by over one quarter when compared to the same period last year.

Morgan McKinley chief operations officer Karen O’Flaherty said that the increase in available positions is an indicator that positive market sentiment has carried through from the beginning of the year.

We are experiencing healthy demand across key sectors that we operate in. This is in line with recently released figures from the CSO which recorded that the Irish employment figures are at a three year high.

There is a particular demand for qualified accountants, IT professionals and transaction experts, she said.

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Elsewhere, employment website IrishJobs.ie said that it had recorded an increase of two per cent in the number of job adverts it is carrying when compared to the same period last year.

The strongest returns were in tourism and engineering (both up 17 per cent), with the construction, architecture and property sector also posting a 16 per cent increase. Large decreases were posted in customer service and call centre positions (down 13 per cent).

Report author and economist Stephen Kinsella said:

The increase in hiring for property-related sectors may be a leading indicator that a recovery in construction is taking place. This will be good for employment and unemployment too.

He added: “Overall, the Irish economy is in a fragile state, but employment is recovering with domestic demand lagging behind it.”

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