Fall in job postings but hiring demand steadying - Indeed

The number of job postings on hiring platform Indeed has fallen by 9.1% on an annual basis but has recorded a monthly increase of 2.7%.

According to its latest Labour Market Snapshot, Indeed said that overall hiring demand has steadied in recent months, with job postings sitting broadly at their early-2020 pre-pandemic baseline.

The report found that despite modest softening, the labour market remains close to full employment, with the unemployment rate remaining at 5.0%.

"The figures illustrate a labour market that has normalised following a period of persistently elevated labour demand post-pandemic," Indeed said.

According to the research, the share of Irish job postings that mention AI terms in the description continues to rise rapidly and is now at 14.7% of all postings.

This is the highest among European countries tracked by Indeed.

It compares to 9.7% in the UK, 5.6% in Germany, 5% in Italy and 3.6% in the Netherlands. It is also ahead of the US where the share of job postings that mention AI is currently 6.7%.

The report found that posted wages rose 3.7% year-on-year in the three months to July 2026.

By comparison, consumer price inflation was running at 3.4% year-on-year in July.

"The gap between wage and price growth has narrowed in the past couple of years as inflation has picked up while pay gains have gradually cooled," according to Indeed.

Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said AI is changing the skills employers are looking for.

"We're increasingly seeing AI create demand for new skills and roles, and that demand is spreading well beyond traditional tech jobs," Mr Kennedy said.

"The challenge is making sure people, particularly those early into their careers, have the opportunity to develop the skills employers will need as the world of work changes."

"Our latest data suggests Ireland’s labour market has moved into a more normalised phase following the hiring demand we have seen after the pandemic."

"While overall demand has stabilised, the picture varies by sector, location and occupation, with AI increasingly becoming an important factor of Ireland’s hiring landscape," he added.