The demand for executives continues unabated. The number of advertisements for executives increased by 36.7 per cent from 1,836 in the third quarter of 1996 to 2,509 in the third quarter of 1997, another new record, according to HAY-MSL Ireland. All categories, with the exception of engineering, showed strong growth. The biggest demand was for executives in accountancy/finance (up from 229 to 407), production (127 to 228), marketing/sales (93 to 183) and data processing (441 to 652). The demand for engineers fell from 572 to 421.

The latest figures follow the record levels in the second quarter. The number of jobs advertised in the first nine months of 1997 increased by 10.5 per cent to 6,835.