Ireland’s employment market likely to remain reserved in Quarter 4 2011 while the Pharmaceutical sector gains more momentum.
The Net Employment Outlook of 0% for Quarter 4, 2011, is the most optimistic employer forecast in 3 years; forecasts in eight of 11 industry sectors improve in year-over-year comparisons.
Dublin, Tuesday, 13th September 2011 – Manpower, the leader in contingent and permanent recruitment workforce solutions, today releases the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey which reveals that, overall, employers in Ireland expect the labour market to remain muted in the three months to the end of December. However, the seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook stands at 0% -- 3 percentage points stronger both quarter-overquarter and year-over-year – and is the most positive forecast since Quarter 3 2008. For the fourth consecutive quarter, employers in the Pharmaceuticals sector report the most optimistic hiring plans.
Employers in four of the 11 industry sectors surveyed report positive hiring intentions.
Stronger quarter-over-quarter hiring plans are reported by employers in nine of the 11 industries sectors surveyed and the Net Employment Outlook improves in eight sectors year over-year.
- Employers in the Pharmaceutical sector report the most upbeat hiring plans of the 11 industry sectors, with an Outlook of +11%. This is 4 percentage points stronger than last quarter and represents a considerable 12 percentage point increase year-over-year.
- Manufacturing employers report the strongest hiring prospects since Quarter 3 2008, with a Net Employment Outlook of +3%.
- Slightly improved job prospects are predicted in both the Construction and the Public & Social sectors where Outlooks stands at +2%.
- Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services employers report mixed signals for job seekers with a Net Employment Outlook of 0%.
“The Pharmaceutical sector continues to perform strongly which is likely to drive job creation and is positive news for job seekers in the sector. Furthermore, the survey reveals that employment opportunities could arise in the Manufacturing, Public & Social and Construction sectors” commented Krissie Davies, Manpower Ireland Managing Director. “We’re also seeing a steady number of finance roles available at the moment. The predicament for employers is that many of the candidates suitable for these roles are already engaged in fulltime employment. This may soon create some movement in the sector.”
“While the Net Employment Outlook is the most optimistic since Quarter 3 2008, the survey results also indicate that employers will remain cautious over the next three months. Business confidence seems to be improving but the operating environment remains very challenging. Flexibility, agility and a talented workforce remain crucial to navigate through the recovery,” she added.
The Outlook for the Transport, Storage & Communication sector is a sluggish -5%, however, this represents a considerable improvement of 10 percentage points compared to Quarter 3 2011. Restaurants & Hotels sector employers anticipate downbeat hiring prospects with an Outlook of -4% -- a considerable decline after the summer season of 16 percentage points year-over-year.
Regional Net Employment Outlook
Employers in three out of the five regions surveyed expect to increase or make no change to their payrolls in Quarter 4 2011. Dublin employers report positive hiring prospects with an Outlook of +4%. The Outlook improves considerably by 10 percentage points year-over-year. “Dublin employers are sending positive signals to job seekers for the quarter ahead. The Outlook for the region is up a considerable 9 percentage points quarter-over-quarter and this evolution reflects what we are experiencing across our specialist recruitment divisions. An increasing number of vacancies are becoming available—notably multilingual, business development and customer service roles,” said Davies.
“In the Munster area, employers forecast slow-paced headcount growth in Quarter 4 2011, reporting an Outlook of +1%,” she continued. “The region is an attractive location for business and this is an encouraging sign for short-term prospects.” Elsewhere, employers in Ulster (-2%) and Connaught (-4%) continue to anticipate a downbeat hiring climate for job seekers. The Outlook for Quarter 4 2011 remains unchanged
in Leinster. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, the survey indicates that labour market trends continue to follow the similar mixed pattern reported by employers throughout 2011, with positive hiring activity expected in 18 of 23 countries surveyed: Outlooks decline from Quarter 3 2011 in 13 countries but improve in 11 compared to one year ago. Regional hiring plans are strongest in Turkey (+20%), Israel (+16%), Bulgaria (+13%) and Norway (+13%) and weakest in Greece (-13%) and Italy (-10%) where the Outlooks decline to gloomy levels as employer optimism continues to sink.
The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 13th December 2011 to report hiring expectations for the first quarter of 2012. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of charge to the public and can be downloaded from
http://www.manpower.ie/.
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