Ireland’s labour market remains tight, with recruitment agencies reporting ongoing challenges in filling skilled roles across key sectors, according to the November 2025 Recruitment Agency Survey from the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS.
The findings highlight a near full-employment environment where demand for specialised skills continues to outpace supply, particularly in construction, technology, health, life sciences, transport, and financial services.
Construction and Technology Lead Hard-to-Fill Vacancies
Construction accounts for a significant share of reported difficult-to-fill roles, including engineers, project and site managers, quantity surveyors, health and safety officers, and skilled trades such as carpenters, welders, and electricians.
Demand also remains high across science, engineering, and technology, with employers seeking software developers, AI and machine learning specialists, cloud professionals, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts. Life sciences employers are similarly struggling to recruit engineers, compliance specialists, and research professionals.
Health services continue to experience shortages, particularly for nurses, consultants, healthcare assistants, and therapists. Transport and logistics, financial services, and a wide range of service roles are also affected.
Nearly Half of Vacancies Described as Very Difficult to Fill
Recruitment agencies reported that 49% of difficult-to-fill vacancies were considered either very or too difficult to fill, with the most severe shortages in construction and engineering.
Despite economic uncertainty, demand remains resilient. Over a third of agencies reported an increase in demand for hard-to-fill roles over the past year, while most reported demand remained steady.
Skills Now Matter More Than Experience
In a competitive hiring market, employers are placing greater emphasis on skills rather than years of experience. More than half of agencies said employers are willing to consider candidates with less than three years’ experience for certain skilled roles. However, ICT positions remain more experience-heavy, with many requiring senior-level expertise.
Employers are increasingly seeking hybrid skillsets that combine technical knowledge, sector expertise, and transferable capabilities.
Transversal, Digital and Green Skills in High Demand
Strong communication skills were the most frequently cited transversal skill, alongside leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and project management.
Digital skills remain essential across industries, from BIM and AutoCAD in construction to data visualisation and AI expertise in technology and finance. Demand for green skills is also rising, particularly in environmental health and safety and renewable energy management roles.
International Talent Remains Critical
To address ongoing shortages, employers continue to rely on international recruitment. While some difficult-to-fill vacancies are filled by Irish candidates, many are filled by a mix of Irish, EU, and non-EU professionals.
However, recruitment agencies noted that high accommodation costs and limited housing supply remain significant barriers to attracting overseas talent.
Salary and Flexibility Key to Attracting Candidates
Competitive pay and flexible working arrangements remain the strongest incentives for jobseekers. While hybrid working continues to be widely offered, agencies reported fewer fully remote roles and a growing expectation of onsite presence.
Companies are also investing more in retention strategies, including upskilling, employee engagement initiatives, and enhanced benefits.
A Tight Labour Market Set to Continue
With Ireland operating close to full employment, recruitment agencies expect hiring challenges to persist. Employers are adapting by broadening experience requirements, investing in skills development, and competing more aggressively on pay and working conditions.
For recruiters and jobseekers alike, the message from the latest survey is clear: skills shortages remain a defining feature of Ireland’s labour market and organisations that can attract, develop, and retain talent will be best positioned to succeed.