Plunge in 'fully remote' jobs advertised as employers reverse tack

The number of fully remote work vacancies is on the decline

Caoimhe Gordon

The number of fully remote job vacancies being advertised has plummeted in recent months as businesses revert to mandatory in-office days.

This trend began in the latter half of 2022, according to hiring platform IrishJobs.

Companies are eager for staff to return to the office more regularly after remote working became the norm for some workers over pandemic lockdowns.

The number of fully remote roles dropped by 12pc in the first three months of the year.

This reflected a faster level of decline than that of overall job vacancies on the platform, which fell by just 6pc in the same period.

The majority of remote working roles that remain on the site are from companies based in Dublin, with 79pc of vacancies from Dublin employers.

It attributed this to the pressures of commuting into large cities, while sourcing accommodation across Dublin remains challenging.

“Although fully remote roles are on the decline, flexibility and work-life balance are still top of the average jobseeker’s agenda,” StepStone Ireland managing director Sam McIlveen said.

Overall, the number of job vacancies fell by 20pc year-on-year. However, the number of roles available remained 10pc above pre-pandemic levels in the first three months of 2023.

Hospitality remains the industry with the largest source of job vacancies, accounting for 13pc of job vacancies in this period.

There was also strong demand for qualified medical professionals and healthcare workers, with job vacancies for positions in this sector representing 9pc of all adverts.

IrishJobs reported that there were a number of job vacancies in the Irish IT sector despite uncertainty across the tech industry in recent months as a result of layoffs in major firms.

Positions available in the IT sector made up 7pc of all vacancies in the first three months of 2023 and were 21pc higher than the same period in 2021.

However, roles in IT were down 23pc compared to the same time last year.

Just four counties in Ireland recorded an increase in vacancies compared to the prior year, including Co Cork, which had a 9pc rise in job postings.

“While the post-Covid exuberance of 2021 and early 2022 has now run its course, given the high employment rates we’re continuing to see across the economy, the latest figures will do little to ease the recruiting pressures for employers,” Mr McIlveen said.