Ireland's job boom continues with unemployment rates at their lowest in 14 years.
Figures show that an extra 33,200 more people are in work compared to this time last year.
The unemployment rate dropped to 4.4% in May, down from 4.6% in April, and 5.9% a year ago.
The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed fell by 3,100 between April and May.
Pawel Adrjan from Indeed said: “With the recent revisions by the CSO, the unemployment rate has now dipped well below 5%, and at 4.4% in May is at its lowest level since since 2005 and close to historical lows.
“Whilst there will likely be commentary around the economy being close to ‘full employment’ there is ample evidence to suggest that Ireland’s job boom has not yet run out of steam.
“There are also still almost 20,000 job vacancies, with the vacancy rate showing no signs of falling.
“The question is, with demand for staff still growing how can it be accommodated as the labour market tightens?
“Labour force participation has been rising steadily and is approaching the pre-crisis peak of 75.3% in 2007, as solid wage growth draws people into the labour force.
“Whilst this is ahead of the EU average, Ireland has a wider gap between male and female participation than the EU average, and therefore there is scope for improved female participation to help address the shortage of labour.
“However, this may require a greater policy focus on the affordability of childcare and family friendly employment practices.
“It is certainly a jobseeker’s market, although vacancy rates do vary significantly by sector. The professional, scientific and technical sector has the highest job vacancy rate followed by the financial, insurance and real estate sector.
“People with this sort of expertise are most likely to be in the best position to leverage their scarcity and push for higher wages.”
