Market lifted by jobs ‘that didn’t exist 10 years ago’

SMART watch developers, data scientists, and blockchain engineers are among the jobs that didn’t exist when the country was bailed out.

Fintech is a sector that was unknown 10 years ago, while agritech and biotech have become catchphrases in the hiring industry. Recruitment companies are booming again but the jobs market has gone through a transformation.

Construction is making a comeback but nothing like the levels it reached during the Celtic Tiger years.

Maureen Lynch, of Hays Ireland, said the construction industry is hiring again and 80pc of employers are experiencing shortages, particularly in engineering roles. However, there are only half the number of people working in the sector that there were in 2008.

“A lot left the country and haven’t yet come back and many construction engineers did courses to become IT engineers.

“The other big change we see is around technology, artificial intelligence and big data and a lot of jobs that didn’t exist,” she said.

“I would say that 25pc of the jobs in the financial services industry didn’t exist in 2008. A recent report by Dell predicted 85pc of the jobs in 2030 haven’t been invented yet.”

She said a demand for data scientists has emerged. They use algorithms to predict outcomes in many areas of business and are used by insurance firms, actuaries, gambling, banking and financial services.

Blockchain engineers develop technology used by pharma and food companies to ensure their goods comply with regulations.

“It is a world of continuous training,” she said. “If you don’t adapt and learn new technologies you will be left behind. We need to teach our children to learn continuously.”