If you want to work in Dublin, you may be wondering about job opportunities and skill shortages in the city. Ireland’s GDP has been the fastest increasing in Europe since 2017. And this upward trajectory has continued through 2022 with the economy nearly at full employment.
Is there still a skills shortage in Ireland?
In the second quarter of 2023, the Ireland hit a record-high employment rate of 74.2%, marking its highest ever recorded. Amidst the economic growth, there is also a rising demand for skilled professionals across various industries, which makes it an attractive destination for career growth
As job opportunities in Ireland quickly return, skills shortages in areas like construction, ICT and engineering are likely to make a comeback too.
To identify the skills in demand in Ireland today, we looked to Ireland’s Skills and Labour Market Research Unit, as well as the Government’s list of occupations that are in critically short supply. If your job title appears on this list, you can apply for a critical skills permit which provides immigrants with preferential treatment.
In demand skills and job opportunities in Ireland
Four key sectors continue to see jobs growth and offer the most opportunities in Ireland right now.
1. Science and engineering
Employment in science and engineering grew strongly over the past five years. In 2019, skills shortages were particularly evident. More graduates have come on-stream and employment dipped during lockdown in 2020. But the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit forecasts a swift recovery in the manufacturing sector. This should mitigate any potential decline.
Right now, specific titles like industrial pharmacists, chemical scientists in manufacturing, medical lab scientists, biochemists in manufacturing, structural engineers, site engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers all feature on the critical skills list.
Main employers in this sector include: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, Stryker, Intel, Arup and Jacobs Engineering.
2. ICT
Dublin’s reputation as an IT hub will continue to grow over the next decade. It currently accounts for nearly 10% of all jobs in the capital – three times higher than the EU average.
Startups and expanding tech companies are attracted to Dublin thanks to our well-educated, English-speaking workforce. Over the past five years, jobs growth in this area was driven by employment opportunities for programmers and software developers. While the number of ICT occupations declined overall during the pandemic, increases in roles for programmers and developers are expected to continue.
This demand is reflected in the Government’s critical skills list. Roles like IT directors, IT project managers, IT business analysts and development professionals all make the cut.
Main employers in this sector include: DCC, Google, Apple, Intel, HP, Microsoft and Amazon.
3. Business and finance
Employment growth in business and finance was above the national average for the past five years. Although these skills are required across a variety of sectors, the main jobs growth was within the financial sector. Altogether, it accounts for a third of all business and finance jobs.
While employment fell during 2020, a quick recovery is expected thanks to the economy’s strong performance. Demand for skills is also likely to increase as banks with operations in London set up a European presence in Dublin post-Brexit.
According to the Government, there are skills shortages in Ireland across a number of niche roles. Chartered and certified accountants specialising in tax, compliance, regulation, solvency or financial management are highly sought after. Actuaries, economists and statisticians with knowledge of big data analytics are in demand too.
Main employers in this sector include: The AIB Group, Bank of Ireland, the Central Bank of Ireland, Bank of America, Citi, Davy, PWC, Deloitte, Accenture and KPMG.
4. Healthcare and social care
While employment numbers depend on government funding, demand for health services is expected to continue to grow. This is due to the aftermath of the pandemic, as well as Ireland’s aging population.
In the next decade, healthcare, residential care and social work are expected to generate the largest number of jobs. It is currently the second largest sector and many of those currently employed hail from abroad. Jobs for doctors, nurses, medical technicians, personal care workers and social workers are all expected to be in demand.
Currently, a variety of healthcare professionals feature on the Government’s critical skills list. There’s a skills shortage in terms of medical practitioners, radiographers, radiation therapists, audiologists and more.
There’s other job opportunities in Ireland for healthcare professionals too. Remember, the critical skills list only highlights the roles that are so in demand that the Government offers extra perks to the immigrants who fill them.
The main employer in this sector is the Department of Health and the HSE.
