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2020 has seen the word uncertainty circulating within the jobs market. When compiling our annual agri jobs focus and survey, uncertainty was the general consensus among companies. Employers were unsure of how many positions they plan to fill next year, what programmes they will run and above all, what the future holds for their business. It goes without saying that everything is very difficult to predict in a time of economic uncertainty.
According to the data collected in our agri careers survey, most companies have hired less in recent months, as expected. However, opportunities are slowly beginning to open up in the jobs market as we approach the end of the year. A strong background in agriculture was the most sought after skillset among employers within the agri business sector.
Reading the FRS Recruitment Insights report, the word uncertainty creeps up time and time again. The opening few lines of the report highlight the concerns that employers and employees are facing in a time of economic uncertainty, “We’re uncertain about how COVID-19 will impact on our lives, we’re uncertain as to how difficult circumstances may get, we’re uncertain about the country’s economic prospects and we’re uncertain about what happens next.”
2020 has been a year of remarkable uncertainty and the changes that come with that uncertainty have been a learning curve for everyone. The unsteady ground created as a result of the pandemic is a significant worry for business across every sector in Ireland. Like other sectors, agri business and careers have seen a shift in trends within the jobs market. It has been a challenging year and we have witnessed significant changes in the workplace with an increasing need for digitisation and many people working from home.
However, as time has gone on we can see a silver lining in some areas. Job creation ceased in many companies in 2020 but as employers adjust to current circumstances, we can see movement within in the market as new recruitment opportunities open up.
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