As part of our service to clients and candidates, Link Personnel Services is happy to publish our annual salary surveys for 2022. We publish our surveys at this time every year to measure the impact January, traditionally a very busy month, has on salaries. This January has brought change, as usual, but looking through a wider lens, for the most part, it has continued the momentum built throughout the second half of 2021.
Predictions are difficult, especially if they are about the future! There are multiple factors which move labour markets over periods of days and weeks, let alone months or years. All we can do is establish where we are today, spot trends, and extrapolate. Our salary bands aim to establish the current state of the labour market, allowing a spread wide enough to provide a snapshot of the market, while remaining narrow enough to provide insight. Indeed, our bands have not changed significantly since last year. What is different in 2022 is that median salaries for each role are more likely to be grouped toward the upper end of the band than last year. A number of recent news reports have forecast pay rises of up to 30% in Ireland this year, and, although that is certainly feeding sentiment in a market where candidate power is already evident, we expect salary rises to stick to single digits in percentage terms. Our forecast is based on the replication of the 4-6% wage growth we saw last year, in addition to inevitable cost-push pressure on wages from inflation. It’s possible that employers could avoid baking in higher wages by offering one-off cost of living bonuses, but if inflation does not slow down as forecast, and persists for longer than expected, we may see percentage wage rises creeping into double digits.
Salaries remain the headline that attracts candidates to jobs, but it is becoming less and less important. Put simply, people will accept lower wages for jobs that offer better balance. Candidates understand the diminishing returns from a job that expects late nights every week and are voting with their feet. Strategies to arrest that momentum by offering more money are having limited effect. Salary is a necessary, but not sufficient, incentive to attract the right people.
In terms of the economic outlook, the mood music is positive for both output and jobs growth in Ireland this year. Thankfully, there is lots of hope that both public health and the economy will continue to recover in 2022.
We are increasing our staffing levels this year, as well as adding to our search and selection capabilities, in order to enhance our service. We stand ready to provide our help, expertise, and analysis to candidates and clients alike, and we look forward to working with you throughout 2022.
Cormac Spencer
Director
01 845 4651
Please feel free to contact me to discuss the market in general or your industry specifically.
