Mayo saw a 62% rise in the number of job opportunities offered in 2021 and further growth is expected in the coming year, according to new figures released by Irish recruitment company, FRS Recruitment.
FRS Recruitment stated: "The recovery in employment was felt throughout the economy last year, but Mayo was one of the counties to experience the strongest increase. Nationally, FRS Recruitment saw the total number of job postings handled grow by 12%, reaching 81,528 in total for 2021.
"Across the economy, the rise in openings was cross-sectoral with significant growth experienced in the commercial, IT, healthcare, construction, life sciences and engineering, agricultural sectors as well as temporary industrial and commercial positions.
"Among the career areas where FRS Recruitment recorded the largest rises in activity during 2021 were retail (up 117% ), transport and logistics (up 82% ), pharmacy – retail (up 69% ), professional services (up 68% ) and banking and financial services (up 58% ).
"While nationally there was a broad increase in the number of roles handled, there were some significant regional variations experienced. In total 20 of the Republic’s 26 counties saw the number of job postings rise.
"As well as Mayo, the most significant increases came in Longford (up 158% ), Carlow (up 117% ), Kilkenny (up 79% ), Meath (up 76% ), Louth (up 72% ) and Cork (up 60% ). Dublin also experienced strong growth (up 39% ) and accounted for by the largest number of postings, 21% of the national total.
"Six counties also experienced a decline in opportunities, with the largest drops coming in Roscommon (down 45% ) and Donegal (down 30% ).
"FRS Recruitment is also forecasting further employment growth in 2022, with opportunities expected to rise by 10% over the next 12 months. This will be buoyed by the ongoing recovery of the economy across most sectors, leading to the majority of employers seeking additional staff as they look to grow their businesses and address skills shortages. In particular, FRS Recruitment is forecasting strong demand in manufacturing and engineering, construction and IT roles this year. The information was published in FRS Recruitment’s end of year report, Job Opportunities Abound."
Speaking about the report, Lynne McCormack, General Manager of FRS Recruitment, said: “Last year was a very strong year for recruitment in Mayo. We recorded a 62% jump in the number of roles handled locally, which far exceeded the national average and was amongst the strongest in the country.
"FRS Recruitment also expects to see further growth in job opportunities in Mayo over the coming year. We are projecting a further 10% rise in the total number of roles handled nationally and we would anticipate Mayo will share in that growth. There should be significant movement across the economy with employers looking very closely at their resourcing needs as they seek to grow and expand their organisations and address any current and projected staff shortages.
"While in 2021 it was a few months into the year and post the lockdown before the recovery in employment began in earnest, this year FRS Recruitment anticipates demand will be strong right from the outset. This will be particularly apparent in the manufacturing and engineering, construction and IT sectors, but increased demand is likely to be shared across most sections of the economy.
"In some sectors the need for experienced, skilled personnel is also becoming challenging, with employers finding it difficult to attract suitable candidates. This is likely to lead to pressure on salary packages as employers compete to attract the best personnel and retain their current teams.
"We also believe there is likely to be an increased focus on attracting foreign based qualified candidates to meet shortfalls in some sectors. However, the trend is looking very positive in terms of job openings for the coming year and we believe that will be the experience in Mayo and most other parts of the country," Ms McCormack concluded.
FRS Recruitment has 10 offices nationwide, with locations in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny, Offaly, Cavan and Roscommon. A 100% Irish business, FRS Recruitment is part of the FRS Network – the social enterprise co-operative. Further information is available on www.frsrecruitment.com
