The number of professional job seekers in the first quarter of 2025 grew significantly in comparison with the same period last year, but the number of opportunities is lagging behind, a new report shows.
Recruitment consultancy Morgan McKinley’s latest Quarterly Employment Monitor outlines the key trends in the professional jobs market in Ireland.
The report details the job market’s “cautiously optimistic” first quarter, which saw professional job opportunities increasing by 2 per cent year-on-year and by 7 per cent compared with the final quarter in 2024.
The company’s global director of foreign direct investment Trayc Keevans said companies are “adjusting how they talk about diversity and inclusion (DEI)” in the recruitment industry.
“While some multinationals have quietly pulled back on formal DEI budgets or job titles, Irish employers remain focused on inclusion under new banners - emphasising employee engagement, community, and fairness, rather than explicitly labelled DEI roles.”
[ ‘Modest’ salary growth forecast for 2025 as employers adopt ‘measured’ approachOpens in new window ]
The growth in opportunities, however, was significantly outstripped by the 16 per cent annual growth in the number of job seekers.
A spike in professional job seekers in October 2024 to more than 110,000 dragged up the final quarter average last year, meaning the figures show a 4 per cent decrease in Q1 2025. The monthly figures show a stabilisation in candidate movement, with the number of job seekers staying steady at about 80,000 per month.
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The report said the “trend of post-pandemic labour market strength” continued in March when the national unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 per cent.
With the introduction of new US tariffs and indications of stealth job cuts emerging across multiple industries, the report noted “that resilience could soon be tested”.
Ms Keevans said “the impact of global disruption is being felt unevenly” across the sectors and noted that some industries have leaned into contract roles such as in life sciences and engineering sectors, “as companies await clarity on budgets and bonus cycles”.
The report noted strong employee demand in the construction industry underpinned by State-led construction and infrastructural investment.
The role of AI in the recruitment industry has grown significantly and is now “increasingly influencing how candidates apply for roles, with many now using it to enhance or generate CVs”, said Ms Keevans.
She said employers have raised concerns that AI-generated applications “do not always accurately reflect the individuals encountered at interview”.
“Reports of mismatches between CV content and candidate performance are becoming more common, placing greater pressure on screening processes and the assessment of authenticity,” she said.
