Construction BUSINESS

IrishJobs has published new data that reveals workers in the construction industry were among the most in-demand professions in 2024, as the sector faces a mounting skills shortage.

Findings show that Site Managers were the most sought-after profession by employers in 2024, with demand growing 39% year-on-year (Y-o-Y). The five most in-demand professionals were dominated by the construction sector, with Site Engineers in third position and Project Managers fourth most popular. Demand for Site Engineers increased by 15% Y-o-Y and 10% Y-o-Y for Project Managers. Accountants hold the position of the second most sought-after role in rankings.

The insights are based on data from the IrishJobs TalentBank, the hiring platform’s CV database of over 1.4 million job candidates, which enables employers to source and connect with talent. An analysis of TalentBank searches by recruiters and employers over the past twelve months reveals the most in-demand professions.

Quantity Surveyors (6th), Engineers (7th), and Senior Site Engineers (10th) all feature in the top ten most in-demand professions. Electricians (9th) appear in the top 10 list for the first time, indicating the importance of the interrelated skilled trades sector in supporting construction activity. These rankings align with data from the IrishJobs Jobs Index, published earlier this year, that showed the proportion of new job vacancies created in the construction sector has started to edge out the IT sector.

Nurses, Accountants, and Financial Accountants are also among the most sought-after professionals by employers this year. Nurses are 5th overall in the most sought-after roles while Financial Accountants fell from 3rd to 7th position.

IrishJobs data on the most frequently posted job openings by employers in 2024 provide further insights on sectoral trends in job demand. As the AI transformation accelerates, there are clear signs of rising demand for skilled specialists in the technology. In the IT sector, Automation Engineer is the most in-demand job for 2024, while Data Scientist is the most in-demand job in the Science industry. Risk Managers were the most in-demand jobs in the Banking sector, QC Analysts in the Manufacturing sector, and Finance Business Partners in the Finance sector.

Commenting on the release of the findings, Sam Dooley, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs, said:

“Against a backdrop of near record low levels of unemployment, businesses in Ireland continue to navigate an exceptionally tight labour market that presents challenges in attracting and retaining high calibre talent.

Published today, data on searches of the IrishJobs TalentBank this year, a database of 1.4 million CVs of job candidates across the island of Ireland, indicates sectors of the economy experiencing skills shortages due to this labour market dynamic.

The significant growth in demand for professionals in construction and related sectors clearly reflects the size of the challenge facing these sectors in meeting their talent needs. As pressures grow to further ramp up construction activity to meet Ireland’s ambitious housing targets, the need for more skilled talent in the sector is only likely to accelerate.

While talent shortages in the construction sector are not unexpected, our findings also reveal growing skills shortages in complementary sectors such as skilled trades and engineering. Given the importance of these professions in addressing Ireland’s future housing and infrastructure needs, more focus will be needed to address the skills needs of these sectors. Investment in skills and training programmes, alongside other strategies such as international hiring, can help to meet the growing needs of these sectors.”

Source: IrishJobs.ie