Jobseekers have significantly lost interest in both academic and trade roles over the past year, with the advance of artificial intelligence (AI) leading people to seek out more tech-facing roles, jobs platform Indeed has said.
Jobseeker interest across Ireland has shifted in line with changing technologies over the past 12 months, the company told The Irish Times on Sunday, describing the change in the market as a “transformation”.
Interest, measured by clicks on job postings, shows roles such as technology consultant, warehouse manager and reporting analyst saw the biggest year-on-year increases.
At the same time, interest in positions like research assistant, apprentice mechanic and family support worker dropped.
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The sharp rise in interest in technology consultant roles “may be driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across industries”, the company said.
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The data showed Ireland is leading the way in Europe with the highest proportion of Gen AI postings, even outpacing some more traditional roles.
Similarly, roles such as reporting analyst, product designer, and IT technician are becoming more popular as the world becomes more digital and data-centric.
Jobs in logistics and warehousing, such as warehouse manager and quality technician, have become more appealing as supply chain resilience “remains a key focus” for companies, even more so during periods of trade uncertainty, Indeed said.
“These positions also offer stability and growth potential in sectors less susceptible to economic volatility.”
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Meanwhile, there has been renewed interest in hospitality and leisure roles, including tour guide, housekeeper and swim instructor roles. Those jobs attracted jobseekers looking for “immediate, temporary or local employment”.
The group said interest in academic roles “has declined”, with positions like research assistant and tutor seeing “significant drops” in interest.
Similarly, declining clicks on trade roles such as apprentice mechanic and apprentice plumber “may reflect a broader generational drift away” from traditional vocational pathways in favour of “knowledge worker industries”, it suggested.
Administrative and co-ordination office-based roles like project co-ordinator, personal assistant, and office manager also saw notable declines, “possibly due to increased automation or remote working”.
The report said Ireland leads the way on remote work in Europe, with the share of job postings mentioning it standing at 17.5 per cent.
This puts it ahead of the other six countries monitored by Indeed, including the UK (15.2 per cent), Germany (14.8 per cent), Canada (13.8 per cent) and Australia (12.7 per cent), France (11.0 per cent) and the US (7.8 per cent).
Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said: “These changes in jobseeker behaviour signal a labour market in transformation.
“As businesses scramble to modernise operations and integrate AI solutions, demand is growing for niche, tech-savvy professionals who can bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.
“On the other hand, the decline in interest for trades, administrative and academic roles indicates changing social and generational dynamics.
“Jobseekers may be deprioritising roles they perceive as lower-paying, less flexible, or more vulnerable to automation.”
