According to CSO statistics released earlier this year, 88,600 people moved to Ireland during the year. Of these, 26,900, or 30.4 per cent, were returning Irish nationals.
Ireland has a long history of emigration and over the past few years, particularly during the crash, large numbers of people emigrated abroad for better career opportunities, training opportunities and higher salaries.
Now, unemployment levels are falling monthly and skilled professionals are very much in demand. We have the #1 fastest growing economy in Europe right now, which has brought a range of roles and increasing salaries in Dublin and regionally.
Considering a move back home? Here are are some of the reasons why 2020 could be the time.
Low unemployment rate
The economy is now close to full employment with a jobless rate of just 4.4% according to the CSO. This is a sharp fall from the height of the recession when it hit almost 16%.
With such a low unemployment rate the demand for skilled workers is high, and evident to us in Cpl. Which leads us into the next point…
A variety of job opportunities
It’s undoubtedly a candidate’s market at the moment with skills shortages and high demand for Finance & Accounting, Technology & IT and Pharma professionals. Some of the most in-demand roles include software engineers, risk and compliance positions, multilingual roles and account managers.
The current candidate’s market means there are ample opportunities for workers to pick from, enabling you to find a role that you truly care about – rather than accepting whatever gets offered to you.
Strong salaries & benefits
According to the Central Statistics Office, gross average wages have increased by 1.8% year-on-year across all sectors in Ireland. In a survey undertaken by Cpl, we also found that over 60% of employers favour candidates who have experience working abroad. Further strengthening your possibility for a good salary back home.
As the demand for top talent increases employers are also increasingly offering a strong selection of benefits. These benefits include flexible work, clear career progression and upskilling, healthcare benefits, bonuses and in larger companies free on-site catering.
A good work/life balance
Through chatting with my friends, I have realised we have a strong work-life balance here compared to many of those living abroad. It is illegal to work more than 48 hours a week in Ireland and many employers offer 22 plus holidays a year. Whereas in the United States is one of just 13 countries in the world that does not guarantee paid time off.
Recently there’s also been an increase in wellness initiatives and flexible working options. Many companies now offer flexi-time or work from home arrangements, again, further enhancing employees work-life balance.
Leading companies are based here
For a small country, Ireland has an impressive selection of global organisations based here. Our low corporation tax rates, proximity to the EU and highly educated workforce make Ireland Europe’s hotspot for the IT, Finance, Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical industries.
50% of the world’s leading Financial Services firms and nine out of the ten world-leading tech companies are based here such as Apple, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Salesforce and many more.
Overall if you are missing home and the only thing keeping you away is your career now could be the time to move home. If you’re considering a move and would like to learn more about opportunities get in touch with us.
We have specialist recruiters across almost every sector, from finance and tech to science and healthcare, please get in touch, we’d be delighted to advise.