Temporary employment back to pre-recession levels
TEMPORARY and freelance employment in Ireland has returned to pre-recession levels, according to a new report from the ERSI and the Workplace Relations Commission.
During the recession, contingent employment rose to 10pc of total employment.
However it had fallen back to pre-recession levels of 8pc to 9pc by 2016, the ‘Measuring Contingent Employment in Ireland’ study has found.
Temporary work accounts for 80pc of non-permanent work, while freelance work makes up the balance.
Whilst freelance employment has increased marginally over time, it accounts for only one in 50 workers in employment in Ireland today.
Overall, contingent employment in Ireland remained consistently below the EU average over the period.
The report also found that in contrast to other European countries, temporary employment in Ireland is not concentrated among low-skilled jobs. Instead, it can be found across all occupations, education levels, and sectors.
The spread of temporary employment is reflected in pay differences between permanent and temporary employees in Ireland, which stood at 21pc in 2014, according to the study.
In contrast, the average difference in pay for permanent and temporary employees across the EU is 29pc. “The evidence in this report suggests that contingent employment is not an increasing phenomenon in Ireland,” said Professor Seamus McGuinness of the ESRI.
“The contrasting impacts of temporary contracts on earnings and job satisfaction suggests that workers might enter such relationships for a variety for reasons.”
Meanwhile, the latest Mor- gan McKinley Ireland Employment Monitor has found that the number of professional job vacancies available in July increased by 1.74pc across the country.
Overall, the availability of professional jobs increased by 13pc in July compared to the same month a year ago.
This is the fifth consecutive month of jobs growth, and the highest number of jobs in more than 12 months.
“There has been no traditional seasonal slowdown in terms of job creation and growth,” Trayc Keevans, of Morgan McKinley Ireland, said.“There is still a very strong confidence in the marketplace as July was a very healthy month for job announcements.”
‘There is still a very strong confidence in the marketplace’