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New figures from IrishJobs indicate that construction-related roles are leading Ireland’s employment demand as the labour market moves through 2025, with project managers emerging as the single most sought-after position.

According to the data, eight of the ten most in-demand roles this year are linked to the construction sector. This reflects ongoing skills shortages that continue to place pressure on employers across building, infrastructure and related professional services.

Accountants feature prominently in the rankings, with demand for the role rising by 39% over the past year. This increase has seen accountants move from seventh place to second overall, highlighting the growing need for financial expertise as businesses contend with cost control, compliance requirements and project oversight in a complex economic environment.

Other construction-focused roles appearing high on the list include site managers, supervisors and quantity surveyors. Notably, the supervisor role has entered the top ten for the first time, signalling a shortage of experienced on-site leadership as project pipelines remain active. Engineers, foremen, electricians and site engineers also feature strongly, reinforcing the breadth of demand across both skilled trades and professional roles.

Outside construction, nursing remains the only non-construction role in the top ten, although it has slipped down the rankings compared to last year. The data suggests that while healthcare demand remains significant, it has been outpaced by shortages elsewhere in the economy.

The findings are based on recruiter search activity within the IrishJobs TalentBank, which contains CVs from more than 1.7 million jobseekers. Sector-specific insights show that senior software engineer remains the most in-demand IT role, while data scientist continues to lead demand in the science sector for the second year running. Loss prevention manager tops the finance sector, production operator leads manufacturing, and customer delivery driver is the most sought-after role in logistics.

Commenting on the outlook, Christopher Paye, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland, noted that while unemployment has edged up slightly in recent months, employment growth is still expected over the coming year. He also warned that skills shortages are likely to remain a defining feature of the Irish labour market into 2026, particularly as employers compete for a limited pool of experienced candidates.

For businesses, these trends underline the importance of workforce planning, retention strategies and competitive remuneration. For professionals, they point to where opportunities are most concentrated, though sustained demand also brings increased expectations around skills, flexibility and experience.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and is intended for general guidance only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, details may change and errors may occur. This content does not constitute financial, legal or professional advice. Readers should seek appropriate professional guidance before making decisions. Neither the publisher nor the authors accept liability for any loss arising from reliance on this material.