Over a third of employers plan to hire more people in second quarter

Irish employers remain in hiring mode, with 37 per cent saying they intend to add to their workforces in the second quarter, according to the latest employment outlook survey from Manpower Group.

However, four in five employers are struggling to attract the talent they need, the recruitment company said.

Manpower reports a net national hiring outlook of 22 per cent among employers, with large organisations the most optimistic. Small businesses were least optimistic of the businesses studied, indicating some pressures on those companies, the recruiters said.

The net national hiring outlook, which is calculated by subtracting employers planning net reductions from those planning to hire, is down 3 percentage points compared to the first quarter and is 8 points lower than it was ahead of the second quarter of 2022.

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Businesses are offering increased salaries across all levels to attract talent amid an increase in job-hopping and higher salary expectations from candidates

Despite this slight easing in hiring intentions, the outlook remains strong in the context of high inflation and a wider slowdown in the European economy, Manpower said.

Businesses are offering increased salaries across all levels to attract talent amid an increase in job-hopping and higher salary expectations from candidates, it added.

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Some 81 per cent of employers say they are having difficulty in attracting the staff with the skills they need, up from 79 per cent last year.

The healthcare and life sciences sector has the strongest hiring intentions, with its net outlook standing at 42 per cent. It is followed by the financials and real estate industry on 34 per cent and transport and logistics on 33 per cent.

Notwithstanding continued announcements of further restructuring at tech giants, including Facebook owner Meta, the IT sector has bounced back from a quiet first quarter, with hiring intentions increasing dramatically from 9 per cent to 32 per cent.