1 September 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Over 7 out of every 20 people in Cork are worried about their job security, according to a new report from Irish recruitment company, FRS Recruitment. In total 36% of people in Cork are concerned about their employment prospects, a figure significantly below the national figure with 46% worried about their job security across the country.
The FRS Recruitment Employment Insights Survey also revealed that 70% of people in Cork believe they would secure a new job within 3 months. Nationally 2 out of 3 (66%) would expect to secure a new role within that timeframe.
If their current job was at risk, 74% of people in Cork would consider a reduction in their working week. This is lower than the national average of 76%. When asked if they would consider a pay cut in those circumstances, 50% of Cork people said they would, lower than the national average of 56%.
One in every two Cork people are expecting a wage increase in the next 12 months, with 50% believing they are due a raise. This is slightly below the national average of 51%.
While more than 8 out of 10 people in Cork (85%) would like to remote work some or all of the time.
When choosing a new job/ organisation, the most important factor for people in Cork is the job itself (36%) followed by salary (20%).
A total of 1,951 people across the country participated in the survey. FRS Recruitment is one of the leading recruitment businesses operating in Ireland. They have 10 offices nationwide, with locations in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny, Offaly, Cavan and Roscommon. A 100% Irish business, FRS Recruitment is part of the FRS Network – the social enterprise co-operative. Further information is available on www.frsrecruitment.com
Speaking about the survey results, Colin Donnery, General Manager of FRS Recruitment said,
“People in Cork and across the country are thinking very carefully about their employment prospects in light of the pandemic. There is a lot of uncertainty out there. However some comfort should be taken that the Irish people are considerably more optimistic about their employment prospects than they were ahead of the last recession when nationally six out of every 10 people feared for their job security.
“It is also important to note, that even in these disrupted circumstances, there is still a bright outlook for employees. Half of all workers in Cork believe they will get a wage increase over the course of the coming year, while 70% believe they would find new employment within 3 months if they were unfortunate enough to lose their jobs.
“This confidence aligns with separate research we have conducted on employer attitudes, with 60% saying they are currently either hiring or planning on hiring in the next 6 months. The jobs market is an effective canary in the coalmine when it comes to illustrating economic reality, so all of this is a positive indicator for the country’s employment outlook.
“It is also interesting to note how the pandemic has impacted ways of working, with both employees and employers being strongly in favour of remote working options being available. Both businesses and workers have seen the benefits that can arise from remote working as part of day to day operations, with most recognising that productivity levels have not diminished. That has created an appetite for utilising this approach on an ongoing basis, with 17 out of every 20 people in Cork wanting to undertake some remote working as part of their employment. Given the demand for remote working in Cork and around the country, businesses will have to consider offering this as part of their employee packages in future,”
Mr. Donnery concluded.
