The construction sector was one of the strongest performers in the jobs market in the third quarter, supported by public investment in infrastructure and sustained housing demand, recruitment firm Morgan McKinley said.
Hiring was particularly strong for quantity surveyors, engineers, project managers, and design staff, it said. Much of the new work was linked to schools, hospitals, roads and railway projects in the design phase.
The latest Morgan McKinley Irish employment monitor report shows professional job openings fell by 3 per cent in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter and with the same period last year.
In addition, the number of jobseekers declined by 10 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
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However, Trayc Keevans, global foreign direct investment director at Morgan McKinley, said hiring had cooled slightly over summer, but “confidence is returning” across the professional jobs market.
“Employers are hiring more selectively, yet there’s growing appetite to plan ahead and invest in the skills that will drive productivity and transformation,” she said.
Recruitment in the tech sector “remained consistent” as organisations continued to modernise systems, strengthen cybersecurity frameworks and expand their data and cloud capabilities.
While Dublin continues to lead overall hiring activity, there was a “noticeable uptick” in demand across the regions for software developers, data engineers, project managers and product specialists.
Recruitment across financial services was steady but selective, with activity concentrated in banking, insurance, funds and wealth management.
In banking, there was “strong demand” for product managers and sustainability specialists as traditional institutions continued to develop new digital offerings and mobile apps to compete with fintech challengers.
Salaries remained stable during the quarter and there was a modest rise in contract and project-based roles as companies sought flexibility amid continuing cost pressures and uncertainty around automation.
Activity also increased in onshore renewables and solar developments, which, Ms Keevans said, were seen as more viable than offshore projects that remain cost prohibitive.
By contrast, data-centre construction slowed due to the planning moratorium, “prompting some mechanical and electrical contractors to seek projects elsewhere in Europe”.
“Employers reported a steady inflow of talent, including experienced professionals returning from the UK and new arrivals from South Africa and India, particularly within the design sector,” Ms Keevans said.
“AI [artificial intelligence] is being used selectively for preparing tenders and technical documentation, but is not yet being applied to structural design work.”
In life sciences and engineering, hiring strengthened as employers advanced delayed projects following tariff-related uncertainty earlier in the year.
“Inflation continued to influence salary expectations, and flexibility remained limited in on-site roles,” she said.
