Which sectors are growing in Ireland in 2020?

OVER the past decade new roles have risen in popularity, many of which didn’t exist before, economic adjustments have altered how we engage with other markets and there has been a significant shift towards more flexible ways of working.

Ireland’s position remains strong, with a 5.8% GDP increase from 2018, making us the fastest growing economy in the EU. This has created opportunities for people industry wide and nationwide, with the largest regional employment growth levels in 17 years.

For 2020, it’s anticipated that these advancements will continue and recruiters are noticing a desire across all sectors for meaningful work and a healthy work life balance.

Due to Ireland’s proximity to full employment, many employers now readily offer some form of flexible work, as well as other meaningful perks and competitive pay packages to attract and retain the best talent.

If you are thinking of upskilling or are curious as to job market trends in Ireland for 2020 these are the most active sectors now, according to CPL Recruitment:

1. Accountancy & Finance In a survey of accountancy and finance professionals 64% stated they planned on changing job in 2020. The good news for is if you’re working in finance and would like to move roles there are plenty of opportunities, particularly for more junior roles.

To attract suitable employees’ companies are now increasingly offering flexible working options, work from home options and health and wellness programs – on top of competitive salaries.

2. Science & Pharmaceuticals

Over the past two decades, the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries have become key pillars of the Irish economy. In 2019, there were 22 biotech sites under construction and there are currently 90 bio-pharma plants in full manufacturing operations across Ireland, 40 of which are FDA approved.

3. Technology & Creative Design

A candidate driven market has forced companies to be more flexible when it comes to hiring software engineers and technicians. Some of the most in demand skillsets include Azure, DevOps, Apps Support, Java software engineers (C# .Net with Azure and microservices), Full stack JavaScript developers, Python developers & C++ engineers.

One the creative end, there’s been a boom in demand for UX and UI designers.

4. Language Jobs

The demand for multilingual professionals in Ireland is growing, especially in the many high-tech companies that have set up HQs in Ireland.

However, it’s not just the tech sector experiencing a growing demand for language skills, from large multinationals to the education sector, multilingual professionals are proving more invaluable to employers.

5. Engineering

Ireland’s engineering industry is thriving with new, large scale projects announced and in progress across the country.

The demand for the market’s top talent is high, with clients offering competitive packages to attract and retain candidates.

Contracting is also growing in popularity.