Returning home
With the Irish economy expected to grow in 2018 and employment also expected to rise, many emigrants are returning home to take advantage of the opportunities now in Ireland
According to Goodbody Stockbroker’s latest 2017 quarterly Irish Economy Health Check, Ireland’s economy has now recovered from the recession. The uncertainty around world events such as Brexit and US tax reform has somewhat reduced, and now it seems that Ireland is in a good position to grow stronger.
“The economy is expected to grow by 4.3pc in 2018,” says Dermot O’Leary, Chief Economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers. “Ireland will again be up in the top rankings in Europe.”
This economic growth has created a confidence in employ- ers in Ireland, with many recruiting more workers in 2018. This means that employment in Ireland is predicted to rise by 1.6pc and add 35,000 jobs into the economy next year.
This great turn in fortune has led to many emigrants, who may have left Ireland during hard times to find jobs and a better life, coming back home. There is now a greater assurance that it’s possible to find a good job and have a good life in Ireland.
“Most employers are now seeing skills shortages which they will want to fill,” continues O’Leary. “By the end of 2018, Ireland will be back to what we describe as ‘full employment’.
“Momentum is very strong going into 2018. 2019 is, of course, clouded by a higher degree of uncertainty. But, the initial period may see very positive elements to Ireland because of Brexit, such as an increased flow of foreign direct investment from London. While there is huge uncertainty about the eventual outcome, the foreseeable future remains positive.”
In relation to employment in Ireland, Ibec, the group that represents Irish business both domestically and internationally, say that this is a very good time to consider returning to Ireland.
“Our survey indicates that 43pc of employers will increase staff in 2018, with 60pc of those hires as permanent positions,” says Maeve McElwee, Director of Employer Relations at Ibec. “The skills gaps are most pronounced in the areas of IT and engineering, qualified chefs and nurses among others in the economy.
“We have seen strong employment growth this year. There is a real competition for talent in the labour market with companies offering different remuneration and benefits packages to attract the talent they need. This is a great time to come back to Ireland.”
A FRESH START
One person who came home from abroad to start a new life in Ireland, is Michelle Lawlor. Lawlor has worked in the wine industry in some of the most exciting places in the world, and has now come back to Ireland after seeing more opportunities at home.
“I went to London when I was 22 because I saw many people getting better jobs there than what I was doing in Ireland at the time,” says Lawlor. “I have always loved wine and I had done a wine diploma. I was in London for a week and a half before I got a job as a sommelier in a restaurant. I then saw an ad for an apprenticeship for one of the biggest wine distributors in Ireland and the UK, and that completely changed my path.
“I left London after four and half years and came back to Ireland for a year, as I was working very long hours and couldn’t continue in the rat race anymore. This was at the height of the recession and I really struggled here during that time with all the depressing news and bad prospects. I decided I needed to go somewhere far away, so I went to Hong Kong, which along with London, is one of the centres of the wine world.”
In Hong Kong, Lawlor worked for Paulo Pong, a famous and wealthy businessman in the wine industry. While there, she lived an exciting life of yacht parties, fine wine and food, and travelling.
“I would be taken to Bordeaux to red carpet events, which was amazing. I would be brought to spend time on yachts at weekends and invited to dinner all the time. You go to a restaurant and everyone brings their own bottles of wine. I would be drinking incredibly rare and expensive wines which you wouldn’t get anywhere else, such as a 1982 Chateau Latour or a 1989 Chateau Haut-Brion which costs thousands! It was very exciting and a real fast and furious life.”
After living such a wild and extravagant life abroad, why did Lawlor come back to live in Ireland?
“I needed to come back to Ireland because I had enough of the fast life. I had no time to cook dinner, or exercise or plan my life in any way. I missed my family and I decided to come home where I would be able to think and make a plan for my future.
“I saw lots of opportunities in Ireland. I’m seeing much more money in Dublin now when I certainly didn’t before I left. It seems very different and I feel like there’s definitely a new lease of life here. I would say the idea of Brexit affected my decision to come home too. There is always opportunity in adversity and there is such interest and excitement here. I would never have come back if I felt that everything was still so bleak in Ireland.”
There are opportunities now with jobs and the economy, but Lawlor says there are other elements which are better in Ireland than abroad.
“I’m really loving being back in Ireland because Irish people are just so nice. You forget the natural sense of hospitality here. If someone falls over in the street here you go to help them, but in Hong Kong and other places, they will get walked over. That’s how different it is.”
Lawlor says that while she will continue travelling every now and then, her base is now permanently in Ireland.
“Right now, I’m doing a horticulture course in the Botanical Gardens and it is so refreshing. Horticulture is a part of the wine industry as you deal with picking the right grapes, so I have done things like this before and it helps with a wine business. I would love to open a small wine shop and bar in the suburbs. I feel like having a business here is definitely easier than somewhere incredibly competitive like Hong Kong.
“In Hong Kong, the landlords can be aggressive and double your rent if they see that you make money, to the point where you can’t keep a business going. Ireland has a better and more realistic approach to business. I feel like I could run a business in Ireland and make it a career and an actual success better than anywhere else. I’ll definitely be sticking around in order to build a future here.”