Jobs opportunities in Leitrim to grow by 2% in 2026, new study shows

The jobs market in Leitrim is expected to see a 2% rise in new vacancies and job openings during 2026, according to a new report published by FRS Recruitment.

A statement sent to the Leitrim Observer said: "The 2025 Review and 2026 Trends Forecast report, produced by FRS Recruitment, says that recruiters are forecasting a rebound in the national jobs market this year thanks to a more settled economic outlook for businesses. This comes on the back of a challenging 2025 which saw a 17% decline nationwide in advertised job vacancies as employers took a cautious approach to hiring in the face of rising costs and the geopolitical uncertainty triggered by the trade tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump. However, FRS Recruitment witnessed a strong revival in the jobs market in the final quarter of last year, and this rebound is expected to continue throughout 2026, including in Co Leitrim."

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The statement continued that last year saw a decline in the Irish jobs market "as companies across multiple sectors took a cautious approach to hiring. Instead, businesses focussed on cost containment last year by delaying permanent hires or expanding existing roles internally. One of the sectors which saw the steepest decline in hiring was Accounting and Finance, where the number of job postings plummeting almost 40% last year. Similarly, job openings in the agri-food sector declined up to 15%. Unsurprisingly, both sectors were particularly exposed to the threat of US tariffs. In a bid to manage rising employment costs, many businesses invested in automation processes, while the adoption of artificial intelligence continued apace in many sectors."

It said that the latest increase in the minimum wage and the introduction of the Auto-Enrolment Pension Scheme also "forced many businesses to manage staff costs last year or defer hiring plans, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Many employers chose to offer temporary and contract roles as a quick and cost-effective way of solving staffing challenges last year without increasing their permanent workforce headcount. This strategy saw a 40% increase in the number temporary jobs available in the Irish market in 2025. However, many of these temporary or contract roles went unfilled due to companies offering poor remuneration levels for demanding job descriptions."

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It said that a trend in 2025 was the "continued rise in tensions between employers and staff over return to office policies. Unsurprisingly, most employees continue to seek positions that offer greater work-life balance and remote working opportunities. However, there was a significant uptick last year of companies offering new positions that were strictly office-based. This contrast between employee desires for flexible working and companies seeking to enforce return-to-office policies meant many positions went unfilled last year."