The number of job vacancies in Ireland has increased by 9% in the first quarter of 2017 when compared to last year, according to Irish recruitment firm Collins McNicholas.

Meanwhile, the number of candidates registering with Collins McNicholas has increased by 1% in the first quarter, compared to last year.

The figures from Collins McNicholas coincide with data published from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which showed that the unemployment rate for March was 6.4%, the lowest level since 2008.

“Quarter one of 2017 has continued where 2016 left off, with strong job growth and a steady rate of candidate applications,” Niall Murray, Managing Director, Collins McNicholas, said. “Increasingly, professionals are looking at company culture and development opportunities rather than focusing strictly on salary and benefits packages when assessing job opportunities. This trend is particularly prevalent among millennials.”

“As the unemployment rate declines, we are seeing a tightening in the labour market and increased demand for certain types of skills,” Murray said. “The biopharma, medtech and software sectors continue to grow and there is increased demand for engineering, science, data analytics and software development skills within these sectors.”