79% of Irish Employers having Difficulty Recruiting Staff

​In Ireland almost 4 in 5 employers (79%) reported difficulties in recruiting talent to their business according to the latest research from ManpowerGroup's employment outlook report. We are seeing unprecedented times for Talent Shortage numbers, with a record 79% of employers having difficulty in filling jobs due to lack of skilled talent. Comparing to 2010, this is an increase of 71 percentage points.

Large and small sized firms are having the most difficulty in hiring talent at 85% and 83% respectively. However, evidently businesses across the board are struggling with medium and micro sized companies also reporting difficulties.

Connacht as a region is experiencing the most acute talent shortage at 87%, followed by Dublin at 80%. This shows the huge demand for staff in the western counties all competing for staff in a relatively small talent pool. IT & Tech roles are the most in-demand closely followed by Admin and Office Support.

Critical thinking and analytical skills is the most sought after soft skill employers are looking for in candidates today. Wholesale & Retail is the sector most impacted by the talent shortage (91% of companies having difficulties with recruitment) with the Construction sector also suffering at 83%.

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