Job opportunities soared in Northern Ireland across 2021. Our most recent Job Report showed that just under half of all the employment categories recorded their highest number of vacancies to date including Nursing, Healthcare and Medical; IT; Hospitality; Retailing, Wholesaling & Purchasing and Accountancy & Finance.
This acceleration in the job market has put candidates very much in the driving seat with employers competing to attract and hire the best available talent.
As well as advertising their vacancies on NIJobs, throughout 2021, many recruiters also used TalentBank, NIJobs’ CV database to source and engage with candidates. We analysed the searches carried out by HR professionals and recruiters on the over one million jobseekers available in TalentBank to find out who were the most in-demand professionals in Northern Ireland in 2021.
Software Engineer
Software Engineers were the most searched for professional by NI recruiters in TalentBank this year. Northern Ireland has one of the fastest-growing tech sectors in the UK and with IT jobs 73% higher than the same period in 2019 demand for software engineers is unlikely to end any time soon.
Software Developers
The hiring power of the IT sector in NI is underscored with Software Developers following Software Engineers at the top of the list of the most sought after professionals in 2021. With global technology leaders, such as Fujitsu, SAP, Microsoft, Nvidia, Rapid7, and Whitehat Security and locally owned firms such as Kainos, STAT Sports, and FD Technologies all hiring from the same talent pool, the competition for IT professionals will remain fierce.
Accountant
Strong vacancy growth in a range of finance and business support services pushed up demand for Accountants in 2021. Compared to the same time last year, jobs in Accountancy and Finance jobs rose by 190% so it’s no surprise that employers are searching on TalentBank to source experienced finance professionals. Job announcements from major employers in the sector such as EY and PWC suggest that accountants will remain popular with recruiters for some time to come.
Quantity Surveyor
Responsible for managing all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects, Quantity Surveys were much sought after this year in Northern Ireland. With jobs up 114% in the sector compared to twelve months ago, it’s clear Northern Ireland’s construction companies continue to enjoy a reputation for delivering excellence.
Accounts Assistant
As well as searching for accountants in TalentBank in 2021, employers were also seeking out experienced Accounts Assistants. These professionals provide administrative support in a range of accounting tasks to busy finance teams and with the NI economy enjoying the ‘UK’s best bounce back’ after lockdown, it’s safe to assume that demand for these professionals will continue unabated.
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