The number of job vacancies offering fully remote working has dropped to its lowest levels in nearly four years while opportunities offering hybrid work remain stable, a report has found.
According to the latest Jobs Index by hiring platform Irish Jobs, the number of vacancies offering fully remote working fell to just 1.9% between July and the end of September.
The company said this continued a trend of falling vacancy levels in the practice over the previous four quarters and indicates a clear reduction in the level of fully remote working from home in Ireland.
In contrast, the number of hybrid working vacancies has remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 11.2% and 12.4% over the past six quarters.
Country director of the Stepstone Group Ireland, with responsibility for Irish Jobs, Sam Dooley said unemployment levels are expected to remain under 4.5% into 2025, which is a “clear indicator that the labour market is operating at or close to capacity”.
“While fully remote working continues to decline, hybrid working has stabilised, indicating that it looks set to become a long-term feature of the labour market,” he said.
“As employers navigate a tight labour market, embedding hybrid working in their offering reflects a clear response to candidate demand for flexible working arrangements. Jobseeker searches on IrishJobs for hybrid and remote opportunities are up 46% and 9%, respectively.”
The report also shows the number of new job vacancies fell by 13% year-on-year as jobs growth continues to moderate.
Domestic sectors tended to outperform internationally traded sectors when it comes to the rate of vacancy generation. The catering sector, which includes jobs in hospitality, had the highest proportion of vacancies at 11% over the last three months followed by management positions, accounting for 8%.
The findings by the Jobs Index were backed up by a separate report from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley which found employers face growing challenges as they push for increased on-site presence, with many requiring employees to be in the office at least three days a week.
Global foreign direct investment director for Morgan McKinley Ireland Trayc Keevans said the employment market “remains resilient” despite the slight drop in job opportunities.
“Ongoing emigration of young professionals is worsening the talent shortage, making it harder to fill key roles,” she said.
“As a result, employers are prioritising local talent and returning Irish diaspora due to visa sponsorship challenges. Many firms are also increasing on-site presence requirements, further narrowing the talent pool as candidates favour remote or hybrid work.”
This report, which is based on data gathered between July and September, focuses on Ireland’s professional job market. It found there had been a 4% decline in overall job vacancies over the last year, but this varies between sectors.