Shifting sands: navigating the patterns emerging in the Irish labour market post-COVID-19

This report presents an analysis of the current state of the Irish labour market, and in particular an assessment of job displacement and the jobs and skills that can help displaced workers regain employment in Ireland. It offers a starting point for those requiring re-employment and identifies top job opportunities for the communities facing the most displacement, whether due to the pandemic or other factors. This report provides key insights to policymakers and workers looking to understand the effect of [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 on the Irish labour market and highlights opportunity for reskilling and upskilling to help get displaced workers in-demand jobs.

The first section analyses COVID-19's differential impact on the labour market by identifying occupations that had strong demand throughout both 2020 and 2021. Next, we investigate changing trends in skills with respect to selected job families, identifying how changes from COVID-19 and underlying labour market trends such as digitalisation have impacted these roles. In the following section, we identify jobs that were negatively affected by the pandemic and have not recovered. Finally, we investigate labour tightness in the current job market by observing trends in the benefits offered by employers, including remote work availability and willingness to train new employees.

Excerpts from publication. Show less