Job vacancies on the rise in Limerick

Limerick has been revealed as one of Ireland’s top performers in terms of new business growth.

Job vacancies on the rise in Limerick

Limerick has been revealed as one of Ireland’s top performers in terms of new business growth.

The increasingly popular county posted a 43% increase in job vacancies in Q3 2017 on the same period last year, and 22% on Q2 2017, according to the IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index.

Limerick’s year-on-year growth compares particularly favourably with other urban centres including Dublin (9%), Galway (16%) and Cork (1%).

Limerick has suffered from some of the highest rates of unemployment in recent years, but is now home to a number of thriving industries, including pharma and engineering.

Major employers including Northern Trust and Regeneron have both expanded their operations and in further good news for the county, the Government recently announced the M20 motorway connecting Cork with Shannon via Limerick.

The IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index saw a minor increase in the overall number of job vacancies, up 3% on the previous quarter.

Hotels and catering, banking, finance and insurance, sales, IT, and manufacturing were among the top performing sectors.

"Broadly speaking, Ireland is in a strong position. While we are not seeing as steep an increase in job creation as witnessed in recent years, we remain on course for another year of steady growth, with a sustained albeit modest increase in the number of jobs vacancies," said Orla Moran, general manager of IrishJobs.ie.

"The success of high-skill, high-value STEM industries are a litmus test for an advanced economy, and in this space Ireland is performing well: our science and medical industries have increased their hiring by 15% and 6% respectively year-on-year.

"Unsurprisingly, Dublin still enjoys the lion’s share of job creation and investment, but urban centres like Cork, Galway, and in particular Limerick, are proving increasingly popular as alternative locations for business growth.

Ms Moran noted some negative trends highlighted in the report.

"Despite some counties bucking the trend, we’re seeing rural Ireland lag behind in job creation. In the Midlands and the South-East, unemployment rates are the highest in the country.

"Although we have yet to feel the real impact, the spectre of Brexit also looms large and the slow pace of UK-EU negotiations may be lulling businesses into a false sense of security. If the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, Ireland will bear the brunt of the damage."

more courts articles

Gary Glitter victim seeking six-figure sum in damages, court told Gary Glitter victim seeking six-figure sum in damages, court told
Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van

More in this section

FILE PHOTO The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has cleared the purchase of Goodbody Stockbrokers by AIB END Goodbody Stockbrokers fined over €1.2m by Central Bank over rules breaches
Nottingham City Centre Stock Irish staff at the Body Shop wait for wages as retailer shuts stores in the Republic
Ryanair comments on Norwegian Ryanair boss O'Leary's spat with Transport Minister over Dublin Airport escalates
IE logo
Devices


UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE IRISH EXAMINER FOR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS
FIND OUT MORE

The Business Hub
Newsletter

News and analysis on business, money and jobs from Munster and beyond by our expert team of business writers.

Sign up
ie logo
Puzzles Logo

Play digital puzzles like crosswords, sudoku and a variety of word games including the popular Word Wheel

Lunchtime News
Newsletter

Keep up with the stories of the day with our lunchtime news wrap.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited