The number of job vacancies available for professionals in Ireland - including accountants, lawyers and IT specialists - rose sharply in July according to a survey.
In its latest Irish employment monitor, recruitment agency Morgan McKinley says that just under 13,000 such roles were advertised during the month.
That was 16% higher than June and 33% ahead of July last year in what is traditionally a slow period.
Demand from the financial services sector was strong, as banks respond to increased regulatory pressure.
As a sign that recovery may be underway in the industry, demand for commercial and retail lending roles also increased - though the monitor notes continued demand for professionals with "portfolio management experience of distressed assets".
