Despite fears of AI replacing jobs in the tech sector, there has been a surge in demand for workers in IT and digital roles, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.
It shows that IT sector hiring demand has climbed by 20% compared to the previous quarter.
The survey is based on responses from 408 employers across Ireland and asks whether they intend to hire additional workers or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the national hiring outlook is up 33%, an increase of seven percentage-points on last quarter and five percentage-points on Q4 2022.
The Communications Services sector reported the highest net employment outlook, followed by Financials and Real Estate and Healthcare and Life Sciences.
The IT sector reported the strongest increase in hiring plans since last quarter.
“Despite layoffs in Big Tech, demand from employers across Ireland’s tech sector has increased more than any other,” said John Galvin, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup Ireland.
“Far from employers seeking AI solutions to replace human jobs, employers report that human skills of communication, collaboration and teamwork are most important when looking for candidates,” Mr Galvin said.
More than half of employers in the IT sector said that AI will have a net positive impact on job opportunities, versus just 9% that say it will have a negative impact.
“Digital roles are still very much in demand, and it’s the human skills only a person can bring that they’re looking for most of all,” Mr Galvin said.
“The problem employers continue to face is finding those candidates in the current labour market,” he added.