It showed that the number of people employed in Ireland increased by 10.1% to just over 2.5 million in the year to the fourth quarter of 2021.But it is not an equal recovery across the economy.
"The buoyant Irish jobs data emphasises remarkable economic 'bouncebackability' but also highlights sectoral divergences," according to Austin Hughes, Chief Economist with KBC Bank Ireland. The Accommodation and Food Service Activities sector has seen employment levels fall by 9.7% or 17,300 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.The Restaurants Association of Ireland CEO Adrian Cummins says there is no surprise within the hospitality industry that employment is still below pre-pandemic levels.
The study also estimates that there are 40,000 vacancies across the industry with unfilled roles across every level, from front of house to middle management where 25% of the vacancies lie.Adrian Cummins of the Restaurants Association says that there has been a"mass exodus" from the hospitality sector right across the European Union and that employers are now looking beyond the EU's borders for workers.
Aside from attracting workers from abroad, the Restaurants Association believes that one of the best ways to boost employment in the industry is to make the hospitality sector more attractive to Irish school leavers. "Employers in the hospitality sector will have to offer better security for workers and more regular hours, giving people career paths and increasing wages as years pass," he said.Dr McDonnell believes however that we are likely to see some business closures in the industry.