Shortages of highly skilled workers exist in leading areas of the economy in spite of the unemployment crisis in the country, according to new findings by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
In two new reports published recently, the ESRI says there is significant underemployment in the health care, ICT and financial services sectors, even though unemployment and emigration are at an all-time high.
The new reports also highlight that “specific skills mixes, such as foreign languages and business skills, are also in demand among employers in Ireland.”
This could explain the increase in the number of immigrants coming to the country in the 12 months preceding April 2013 to 55,900 – a rise of 6.0 per cent from last year.
As of 2012, the ESRI states that “over 64,300 non-EEA workers were employed in Ireland in 2012, representing 3.9 per cent of total persons employed.” The corresponding average across the EU’s then 27 member states is 4.1 per cent.
The institute adds that policies so far have been successful in attracting highly skilled immigrant employees.
“Data show that almost half of non-EU nationals in employment were working in high-skilled occupations. Among 20 EU states for which data are available, only the UK and Luxembourg showed higher proportions.”
The ESRI’s findings highlight that “almost 70 per cent of non-EU nationals at work in Ireland have high levels of education, degree level and above. This is the highest percentage among the 20 EU states for which data are available.”
However, the reports acknowledge that more needs to be done on policy level in the areas of family reunification and long-term residence to ensure that Ireland continues to attract highly skilled immigrant workers.
