A new survey has shown that salary levels for newly recruited professionals stabilised last year, while some areas with personnel shortages seeing increases of 20%.
The annual salary guide, compiled by recruitment company Hays, looked at the salaries and terms and conditions across 934 positions in seven sectors - accounting and finance, IT, banking, financial services, HR, construction and property, insurance and office support.
Salaries in nearly all of the sectors have levelled off after falling by as much as 30% in 2009.
The survey found that accountancy graduates with more than one language have seen their salaries increase by as much as 15% on 2009. After two years of cutbacks and little job increases, the larger accountancy practices - especially the 'Big Four' - have started to recruit again. But smaller practices are still finding it difficult.
The IT sector was the most robust sector in the economy last year with new companies choosing Ireland as their European headquarters and existing companies expanding.
Despite the problems in the banking industry, the funds industry here saw a resurgence in the second half of the year with most fund operations recruiting staff again.
In the insurance market, the high number of claims handlers seeking work in the market place has resulted in a drop of 10-15% in their annual salaries.
Hays says that 2010 was a solid year for PA, secretarial, administration and customer service recruitment. People with an EU language were able to demand higher salaries, especially those with German, Dutch and any Nordic language.
2010 saw little improvement in the salaries of construction professionals. Energy in the buoyant sector of the industry with continued investment seeing a need for skills in this area.
Activity in human resources was restricted last year, but Hays has noted a more positive trend in 2011.
