The Labour Market

The labour market is a term used to describe the relationship between the workplace (available employment) and the workforce (people, aged 16 and over, who are working or are available to work). A labour market is said to be healthy if there is enough work available for all those who seek it. Most countries in the world have some difficulty achieving or maintaining a healthy labour market.

In Ireland, as in other countries, the health of our labour market changes over time. In the years up to 2007, we had one of the strongest (healthiest) labour markets in the world. Now, as our economy is under stress, there are less employment opportunities, and a growing imbalance in the number of jobs available to workers with the necessary skills, in some instances too few (e.g. engineers) and in others too many (e.g. builders).

The following links provide access to the main sources of information from which we determine the state of our labour market. It is worth noting that the predictions and commentries made by economists, researchers and journalists provide information to be considered carefully, but we recommend that any predictions as to the future state of the labour market (2+ years) should be just one factor of many to be considered to guide your choice of career.

View a list of those occupations which are causing difficulties in our labour market from here:


 

Labour Market Research These links are to well established sources of information used to review, evaluate and predict changes in our labour market. National Skills Bulletin 2011  The National Skills Bulletin provides a detailed overview of the Irish labour market. It is based on the research conducted by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit of FÁS on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. The Green Economy in Ireland (EGFSN)  This study identifies the future skills needs of enterprise engaged within the green economy in Ireland and proposes a range of measures to ensure that their future skills base will drive business and employment growth. The study informs education and tra CSO - Central Statistics Office  This is the primary source of statistical information about our population. Several of the reports generated by the CSO provide the basis of most other reports on the Labour Market. Forfas - Ireland's national policy and advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation  Forfás provides the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) and other stakeholders with analysis, advice and support on issues related to enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation. FAS - Skills and Labour Market Reports  A list of current FAS Publications directly related to Labour Market conditions produced jointly by FAS and the EGFSN EGFSN - Expert Group on Future Skills Needs  The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) is a body appointed by the Irish Government to advise it on aspects of education and training related to the future skills requirements of the enterprise sector of the Irish economy. HEA - Higher Education Authority  This link points to some of the Statistical data created by the HEA relating to our Higher Education system. ESRI - Economic and Social Research Institute  The ESRI is one of Europe's leading research centres in the social sciences. Their main focus is research on economic and social change in Ireland in the new global context. Employment Outlook Survey (Manpower)  Measures employers' intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the only forward-looking survey of its kind, unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity and area of focus, based on interviews Dept of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation - Labour Force Development  The Labour Force Development Division works to ensure that the skills required for competitive businesses are available in the work force. Vacancy Report 2010  Produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit of FÁS on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. Provides an overview of the demand for labour as measured by trends in advertised job vacancies.

Current Labour Market related information  These sites provide news of current events that relate to our evolving labour market. National Skills Bulletin 2011  The National Skills Bulletin provides a detailed overview of the Irish labour market. It is based on the research conducted by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit of FÁS on behalf of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. IBEC Quarterly Economic Trends  Download publication in PDF format. Irish Independant News - Labour Market  Current news relating to the Irish Labour market.

Labour Market Commentries These links are to sites web pages that contain commentries and views about aspects of our labour market. OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development  Economic Survey of Ireland