According to new research by LinkedIn, there is an increasing influx of professional talent into Ireland, with 18% more professionals coming into Ireland than leaving the country in Q3 2015.
The LinkedIn reseach analysed member updates between July and September, tracking movements and trends between countries and job sectors. It found that in Ireland the technology industry continues to attract more foreign talent than any other industry, with the software and hardware sectors ranking among the most popular.
Dr Craig Holmes from the University of Oxford said, “Ireland has been a net beneficiary of professional talent, with the technology sector, in particular, proving to be a draw for foreign professionals.
“During the quarter we see a shift towards employment in small-sized establishments, with more people opting to start their own business, leaving large-sized organisations – and the sort of roles that we’d typically find in such organisations, like administration and accounting – in the process. Ireland saw a growth in employment of professionals in the largest firms.”
Dr Holmes said, “A shift towards small firms and self-employment, as well as an increase in the number of professionals engaged in entrepreneurship and business development, are all indicators that the economic recovery is raising business confidence.”
The LinkedIn Research found that the sectors that attracted the most professionals were technology (software); healthcare and pharma; government/education/non-profit; retail and consumer products and technology (hardware).
Sharon McCooey, senior director of international operations at LinkedIn said that the data gathered by the research “underscores the positive momentum in the Irish economy.”
“As a company that has grown in Ireland in recent years, we, too, have benefited by being able to attract talent from different parts of the world, as well as professionals who want to return to Ireland. Our experience is that Ireland has a great reputation abroad as a place to work and live, we hope to see this trend continue.”
The professional talent mainly comes form other European nations, with Italy being the biggest contributor (accounting for 13% of inbound talent) as well as France (11%), Spain (9%), and Eastern Europe/Balkans (8%). Latin America also plays a significant role; accounting for 13% of inbound talent.
The research also tracked where outbound professional talent was going. Top of the list was the UK (accounting for 58%), United Arab Eremites (16%), North America (14%), Switzerland (7%) and Africa (3%).
Having professional and well educated talent is one of the key reasons why companies continue to choose Ireland, according to Mart Shananhan, CEO of IDA Ireland. “We must ensure that it remains an attractive place to live and work – this is a key differentiator for decision makers across the globe considering an investment in Europe.”
