Employment opportunities are expected to grow by 12% in Westmeath during the course of 2024, according to leading recruitment company, FRS Recruitment.
This follows a disappointing 2023, when the number of opportunities in Westmeath declined by 28%.
The positive outlook for the coming year is in line with FRS Recruitment’s national projections, with 8% growth also forecast for the country as a whole over the next 12 months. They are anticipating particularly strong demand for accounting, insurance, engineering, science, construction, cybersecurity and social care personnel on a national basis for the coming year.
It is also expected that upward pressure on salaries in Westmeath and the rest of the country will continue over the next 12 months, with the economy at full employment and cost of living challenges still being felt by local employees.
The analysis is included in FRS Recruitment’s 2023 Review and 2024 Trend Forecast report. In total, over the course of 2023, FRS Recruitment advertised a total of 88,964 opportunities nationally. There was also a strong level of response from potential candidates to the openings that came on market, with FRS recording a 32% rise in the average number of applications received per opportunity.
Nationwide Outlook
On a county by county basis, 20 of the 26 counties experienced a decline in job opportunities in 2023. Dublin and all the other main urban areas experienced a drop in the number of roles with Limerick (down 20% ), Cork (down 19% ) and Galway (down 18% ). Proportionately the largest decline was experienced in Monaghan (down 51% ).
However, six counties did buck the national trend and recorded a rise in the number of opportunities in 2023. There was significant growth in activity in the north-west part of the country in particular, with the largest county by county increases occurring in Donegal (up 43% ), Leitrim (up 40% ), Mayo (up 36% ) and Sligo (up 13% ). Additional increases in the number opportunities were also seen in Tipperary and Wicklow.
“If 2023 was a year of turbulence in the recruitment market locally and nationally, we are anticipating a steady rise in opportunities in Westmeath for the year ahead. We are already seeing green shoots of recruitment appear across multiple sectors, several of which experienced a challenging 12 months.
“It is fair to say that in 2023, the market in Westmeath and the rest of the country got jittery, certainly in the first half of the year. The large job losses announced by the major tech companies seemed to resonate across the market and across most of the country. This had implications for opportunities coming on stream for multiple industries beyond the IT sector. Rising costs relating to energy, supply chain expenses and salaries also impacted on the recruitment outlook as many Westmeath based employers opted to utilise their available workforce rather than going to the market with new openings.
“Thankfully the market recovered in Q3 and was firing strongly again by the end of the year. The signs point to that approach continuing for into 2024.
“The market is already showing significant need for skilled personnel in several sectors. Employers are actively seeking out individuals with qualifications and experience in accounting, insurance, science, engineering, cybersecurity, social care and construction. Such is the pent up demand for this talent we see no shortage of opportunities arising in the next 12 months in Westmeath, especially for those sectors.
“As long as the economy maintains such high levels of employment, there will also be significant upward pressure on salaries, as talented Westmeath based employees seek out the most favourable conditions.
“Leveraging offers of new employment to secure better terms from their existing employers became a regular part of the hiring dynamic nationally, and in Westmeath, throughout 2023 and we expect that will continue in the next 12 months. Coupled with the significant expenses associated with accommodation and commuting, employers in most sectors can expect to see a push for better remuneration, especially from those employees located throughout Westmeath who know there are plenty of other openings available on the market,” Lynne McCormack, General Manager with FRS Recruitment, speaking about the report and the outlook for the year ahead, said.
