by HRHQ Editorial Team
Ireland’s recruitment industry generated €3.96bn in 2024, with employers leaning more on temporary and contracting solutions as skills shortages persist across key sectors, according to the Employment & Recruitment Federation’s Irish Labour Market Monitor.
Employment stood at 2,776,400 in Q4 2024, up 2.6% year on year. The job vacancy rate at the end of Q4 was 1.1%, equivalent to 25,400 open roles. Agencies report the sharpest shortages in engineering and healthcare, alongside patchier demand in selected IT roles. Business sentiment has firmed, with nearly half of firms expecting better trading conditions over the next 12 months.
Permanent recruitment accounted for approximately one-quarter of industry turnover in 2024. Temporary and contracting together represented more than two-thirds, reflecting employers’ focus on delivery while managing fixed headcount. The most active hiring categories were accountancy and finance, healthcare and engineering, followed by business support, construction and IT.
Ireland’s labour market continued to expand into 2025. Total employment reached about 2.81 million in Q2 2025, up approximately 2.3% year on year. Average weekly earnings passed €1,000 for the first time in Q1 2025, rising 5.6% year on year, underscoring ongoing wage pressure in a tight market.
Candidate supply is uneven. Agencies report the sharpest shortages in engineering and construction, with significant gaps in healthcare and social care. By contrast, there is an oversupply in childcare and some IT roles, underscoring the need for targeted training, faster visa processing for priority disciplines, and more effective workforce planning.
