Ireland has dropped four places in a ranking of the most attractive countries for workers who are considering relocating. A new report from Irish Jobs parent company Stepstone Group found that Ireland is the 36th most attractive country for professionals.
The study, published in partnership with Boston Consulting Group and a group of 70 recruitment platforms known as The Network, is based on survey data from 150,000 respondents in 188 countries. This included 1,746 people in Ireland.
Dublin placed 36th in a ranking of the most attractive cities for workers. This was the same position it held in the last report published in 2020.The main reasons that jobseekers would consider relocating to Ireland included quality of life and job opportunities. Professionals also highlighted “safety, stability and security” as a factor behind their interest in working here.
“At the national level, while Ireland remains a relatively attractive location for talent to relocate and work, its fall in this year’s rankings may be a sign that the infrastructure challenges that the economy faces, particularly in housing supply, are having a greater impact on the desire of talent to move to the country,” Stepstone Group country director Sam Dooley said.
He called on employers, the Government and representative groups to work together to tackle these challenges. The research also found that European professionals were most likely to consider relocating to Ireland for work.
European countries, including Portugal, Hungary, Spain and the UK, make up seven of the 10 countries where Ireland is viewed as a top destination.
Outside of Europe, professionals in Pakistan, Ghana and the UAE also expressed an interest in relocating here. Workers who move to Ireland for a job said they expect support from employers across a number of different areas, with 84pc hoping for help with housing.
Around 83pc said they are looking for support with their visa and work-permit needs.
Three-quarters would like to receive relocation support. The UK was revealed to be the top destination for professionals in Ireland who are considering working abroad. Australia placed second in the ranking, followed by the US.
However, just 8pc of workers in Ireland said they were actively looking to work abroad. This falls far below the average global figure of 23pc.Data from the Central Statistics Office published last September showed that 30,500 people left Ireland to live abroad in the year to April 2023.
Around 4,700 of those left for Australia, while 14,600 departed for the UK. Almost 5,000 emigrated to the US.
