The National Skills Bulletin 2024 provides an analysis of employment in Ireland. In addition to providing a detailed employment profile of nearly 100 occupations, the report highlights areas of skills and labour demand, and identifies occupations in which shortages occur. The labour market intelligence outlined in the National Skills Bulletin allows for an evidence base to inform policy in a range of areas including education and training, labour market activation, immigration, and career guidance. The National Skills Bulletin 2024 marks the 20th edition of a series of reports, produced annually by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in SOLAS.

The Autumn Skills Bulletin from the SLMRU reports on the extent of job autonomy amongst workers in Ireland compared to the EU 27 average. Based on data from the EU Labour Force Survey for the year 2022, high job autonomy in Ireland varies by gender, age and education level, as well as by economic sector and occupation.

The latest skills bulletin titled ‘Occupational gender segregation in Ireland: unlocking labour supply to meet key skills needs’ examines the roles where occupational gender segregation (defined as where there is an unequal distribution of males and females across job roles) is occurring.  The report highlights that occupational gender segregation is particularly prevalent for occupations experiencing skills shortages and reducing the level of segregation could open up further supply to meet demand.  Following an overview of occupational gender segregation in Ireland’s workforce, the average usual hours worked and the family structure for those employed in gender segregated roles are explored.

This year’s report looks at the number and share of persons who participated in formal and non-formal learning quarter 4 2023, based on the CSO’s Labour Force Survey.  An EU comparison is also provided as well as a summary of the main findings from the CSO’s Adult Education Survey 2022.  This year’s report shows that there has been an increase in lifelong learning, driven mainly by growth in the number of females and in the numbers undertaking job-related learning activities.

The Hospitality Skills in Ireland report, produced by the SLMRU in SOLAS in collaboration with Fáilte Ireland, examines recent employment trends in hospitality jobs in Ireland and provides an overview of Fáilte Ireland’s research on tourism careers.  The report highlights the key employment indicators for hospitality skills as well as the extent to which COVID-19 related restrictions impacted and changed the employment landscape in these areas.

Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply 2023 aims to show the potential supply of skills emerging from Ireland’s further and higher education system. It presents a summary of the number of awards made to learners in Ireland by field and NFQ level in the year 2022. The report also provides a profile of the educational attainment of Ireland’s population based on data from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey.

This paper reports the findings of the Recruitment Agency Survey conducted in November 2023 by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS. The survey gathered the views of selected Irish recruitment agencies in respect of vacancies for occupations that require skills which are in short supply, and in their view, are proving difficult to fill..

This report outlines the transversal skills that were in the greatest demand in adverts for jobs in Ireland that were posted online in the 12 months to September 2023. It draws on CEDEFOP’s Online Vacancy Analysis Tool for Europe (OVATE) and shows that transversal skills accounted for well over a quarter of all skills mentioned in online job adverts.  The report highlights the most frequently occurring transversal skills, such as ‘adapt to change’ and ‘work in teams’; it then goes on to examine the most relevant detailed occupations for each of the top ten transversal skills, identifying skills that tend to occur across a wide range of occupations as well as those that tend to be particularly relevant for certain occupational families (e.g. finance, engineering, etc.).

The National Skills Bulletin 2023, produced by the SLMRU in SOLAS on behalf of the National Skills Council (NSC), examines labour market trends in Ireland with a particular focus on occupations.  The detailed employment outlooks across 100 occupations highlights where skills and labour shortages and recruitment issues are occurring.  The insights in the report aim to assist policy formulation in the areas of employment, education/training, and immigration.

The Summer Skills Bulletin 2023 examines the occupational forecasts produced by the Cedefop Skills Forecasting team for Ireland for the period from 2021 to 2035.  Some discrepancies exist between the Cedefop baseline figures and the published employment data for Ireland; nonetheless, the forecasts provide a guide for the potential direction of occupational trends over the forecast period.  The report examines how the forecasted employment growth of 650,000 persons and replacement demand of 1.5 million persons breaks down by detailed occupation level. The largest growth is forecast for professional, associate professional and managerial roles.  Those with high qualifications (i.e. tertiary education) are forecast to account for 85% of total employment growth and just over half of replacement demand. 

The latest in the series of reports on lifelong learning shows the extent to which adults in Ireland engaged in learning activities in quarter 4 2022. It also compares Ireland’s performance with the EU average. This year’s report shows that the numbers participating in lifelong learning declined year-on-year, with the fall attributable to declines in the number 25-34 year-olds and those with NFQ levels 6-8 qualifications.

The Spring Skills Bulletin 2023 examines the contribution of young people (aged 15-24 years) to the Irish labour force between quarter 3 2019 and quarter 3 2022. With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the bounce back of the economy, this age cohort has seen employment levels recover and an increased demand for labour. In quarter 3 2022, there were a total of 311,900 young people (aged 15-24 years) employed, while they represented 13.3% of the total labour force. The report shows that between quarter 3 2019 and quarter 3 2022, youth employment increased by 45,300, or 17.0%, which is higher than the 9.9% increase across all age groups.

This paper reports the findings of the Recruitment Agency Survey conducted in October 2022 by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS. The survey gathered the views of selected Irish recruitment agencies in respect of vacancies for occupations that require skills which are in short supply and, in their view, are proving difficult to fill.

The latest in the Skills Bulletin series examines the extent to which Ireland has the capacity to expand its workforce to meet its labour market needs. The report profiles those working part-time who are seeking more hours, those unemployed, and those outside of the labour force but are either available but not seeking employment or seeking employment but not available. Combined these three groups are those potentially available to meet any additional demands in the labour market.

Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply 2022 aims to show the potential supply of skills emerging from Ireland further and higher education system, by summarising the number of awards made to learners in Ireland by field and NFQ level.  The report also provides a profile of the educational attainment of Ireland’s population based on data from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey.

The National Skills Bulletin 2022, produced by the SLMRU in SOLAS on behalf of the National Skills Council (NSC), provides an overview of the labour market in Ireland in 2021, with detailed employment outlooks across 100 occupations. The report highlights that skills and labour shortages are occurring across a range of occupations.  The insights in the report aim to assist policy formulation in the areas of employment, education/training, and immigration

The latest in the Skills Bulletin series provides insights into the changing landscape of female employment since the onset of COVID-19. Despite a significant decline in employment with the onset of the pandemic in 2020, female employment grew by 93,000 in the two-year period from quarter 4 2019 to reach 1.18 million.  This Bulletin aims to examine the nature, components and drivers of this increase.

This report outlines the latest analysis of lifelong learning data in Ireland (quarter 4 2021).  It shows the numbers and rates for a range of cohorts, including age, gender, education level and work status. Although there was an increase in lifelong learning participation for most cohorts, rates for many remained below their pre-Covid levels. 

Shifting Sands, Navigating the Patterns emerging in the Irish Labour Market post-COVID-19 is a new report commissioned by SOLAS/SLMRU and undertaken by leading international analytics agency, Emsi Burning Glass.  The report aims to understand the impacts and evolving trends occurring since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It sets out key areas of focus to help us shape the current and future skills requirements to respond to what is now a different landscape in Ireland.

This paper reports the findings of the Recruitment Agency Survey conducted in October 2021. The survey gathers the views of selected recruitment agencies in Ireland in respect of occupations that require skills which are in short supply, and in their view, are proving difficult to fill.

Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply provides a summary, by field of learning and level, of the number of awards made in Ireland.  It also provides a profile of the educational attainment of Ireland’s population based on data from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey.   

This paper, a collaboration between the Department of Social Protection and SOLAS, builds on Brexit preparations to date by providing insight into the sectors, and in turn workers, likely to be impacted by the trade consequences of Brexit. First, an analysis of Ireland’s trading relationship with the United Kingdom is conducted, identifying key sectors with the highest export exposures. Secondly, the paper explores the characteristics of those in employment in the most exposed sectors with a focus on the potential impact at regional level. Understanding the kinds of individuals likely to be impacted enables preparation for any potential shock, while also allowing for better targeting of a potential response.

The National Skills Bulletin 2021 is the seventeenth in an annual series of reports produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS and the fifth to be produced on behalf of the National Skills Council (NSC). A detailed analysis across a range of labour market indicators culminates in employment outlooks across almost 100 occupations. This Bulletin forms a key evidence base to inform labour market policy decisions as Ireland moves to a new phase in its recovery from the pandemic.

The latest quarterly skills bulletin reports on the number and type of people who were working from home in Ireland in 2020.  As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the prevalence of home working increased exponentially in 2020 but this was not uniform across the labour market; those availing of home working were primarily highly educated persons in high skilled roles.

This report monitors the extent to which adults in Ireland participate in lifelong learning activities. It shows the numbers and rates for a range of cohorts, including age, gender, education level and work status. This year, the impact of COVID-19 is particularly evident, especially for those engaging in non-formal learning. 

This report explores the area of skills mismatches in Ireland, with a particular focus on those employed as clerical workers who are classified as over-qualified for the role.

This paper reports the findings of the recruitment agency survey conducted in October 2020. The survey gathers the views of selected recruitment agencies in Ireland in respect of occupations that require skills which are in short supply, and in their view, are proving difficult to fill since the impact of COVID-19 in March 2020.

The aim of Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply 2020 is to estimate the potential supply of skills in Ireland in terms of field of education and level. It covers the available data on outputs from the education/training system; it also provides an educational profile of Ireland’s population.

Autumn Quarterly Skills Bulletin 2020.

This report provides a profile of part-time workers in Ireland and highlights how part-time workers (primarily women) have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.

The National Skills Bulletin 2020 is the sixteenth in an annual series of reports produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS and the fourth to be produced on behalf of the National Skills Council (NSC). The analysis presented in this report aims to both assess how Ireland’s labour market stood in 2019 and how the restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 have impacted the outlooks across almost one hundred occupations.

This report examines the employment profiles of those with qualifications beyond the Leaving Certificate in Ireland. The focus is on individuals whose highest educational attainment is at post-secondary level qualification, either at FET (NFQ 4-6) or third level.

This report monitors the extent to which adults in Ireland participate in lifelong learning activities. It shows the numbers and rates for a range of cohorts, including age, gender, education level and work status. It also compares Ireland’s performance with the EU average. This year’s report shows that the numbers participating in lifelong learning have grown strongly, particularly for older age cohorts and for those in employment.

This report focuses on the potential impacts of automation. Many occupations considered at high risk of automation are also those occupations most impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An analysis based on CEDEFOP’s European Skills for Jobs Survey

Profile of Non-Irish Nationals in Employment in Ireland, Quarter 2 2019

Non-Irish persons working in Ireland tended to be younger, more highly educated, and more likely to be in employment than Irish nationals, but they were more likely than their Irish counterparts to work in low skilled occupations and in sectors such as accommodation & food.

This paper reports the findings of the recruitment agency survey conducted in April 2019. The survey gathers the views of selected Irish recruitment agencies in respect of occupations that require skills which are in short supply and in their view, are proving difficult to fill.

The National Skills Bulletin 2019 is the fifteenth in an annual series of reports produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS. Labour market intelligence has a vital role to play in informing skills policy development in Ireland, and the analysis presented here forms an essential tool in our country’s continued efforts to align the skills of the population with the skills needs of the labour market.

The Quarterly Skills Bulletin No.3 focuses on unemployment in Ireland. The report examines how unemployment compares pre- and post-recession and provides a profile of the unemployed by age (under 25 years versus over 25 years).

The Quarterly Bulletin Q2 2019, focuses on Older Workers in Ireland. The report observes the 50 to 59 age cohort in employment with a view to examining several labour market indicators within this age group.

The 1st Quarterly Skills Bulletin focuses on women on home duties in Ireland. The report examines women on home duties, not participating in the labour force aged between 20 -64 across a number of variables including education levels.

The Vacancy Overview series, produced annually by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS on behalf of the National Skills Council, aims to utilise available vacancy data sources to provide qualitative information on the job titles (and associated skills) in which vacancies are occurring most frequently.

The European Union (EU) has set a target of 15% for adult participation in learning activities to be reached by 2020. In addition, one of the targets set out in the National Skills Strategy is to increase to 10% the number of persons aged 25-64 engaged in lifelong learning by 2020 and to 15% by 2025. This paper aims to monitor Ireland’s progress towards these targets.

The aim of Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply 2019 is to provide a profile of the existing and potential supply of skills in Ireland in terms of field of education and level. The data covers the current skills of the population and the latest available data on outputs from the education and training system.