by HRHQ Editorial Team
Ireland has been ranked 33rd out of 35 global economies in the latest Global Talent Tracker published by recruitment firm Hays in partnership with Oxford Economics. The report delivers a sobering assessment of Ireland’s workforce, highlighting significant challenges in talent value, flexibility, and development.
The study evaluates labour markets across five key dimensions: value, participation, development, market flexibility, and innovation. While Ireland performed well in innovation and workforce participation, it scored poorly in areas critical to long-term competitiveness—particularly talent development and adaptability. The report cites high operational and wage costs, along with growing pressure on skills availability, as major factors dragging down Ireland’s ranking.
“Ireland continues to benefit from a highly skilled and innovative workforce,” the report notes, “but rising costs and a constrained talent pipeline are limiting its ability to compete globally.” The country’s low score in talent development underscores the need for greater investment in education, training, and upskilling infrastructure.
Ireland’s position places it behind several European peers, including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The findings come at a time when the Irish labour market is nearing full employment, intensifying the need for productivity gains and strategic workforce planning.
The Global Talent Tracker serves as a wake-up call for policymakers and business leaders alike, urging a renewed focus on building a resilient, future-ready workforce capable of sustaining Ireland’s economic momentum in a competitive global landscape.
