Stretching along the Atlantic coast from Donegal to West Cork, the Wild Atlantic Way is Ireland’s first long-distance touring route. Since its inception in 2015, the attraction and the counties that it encompasses have become increasingly popular destinations for a holiday, and as the cost of living in Dublin and larger cities increases, a home.
IrishJobs.ie’s data from the first three months of the year highlighted the growth in jobs for the counties situated along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Jobs growth
In the first quarter of 2019, the IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index shows the largest quarter on quarter increase in jobs in Kerry (28%), Clare (26%), and Sligo (15%). These increases are mirrored in the year on year growth with Mayo seeing a 7% increase in jobs and Sligo hitting 15%.
Overall the IrishJobs.ie data also shows that there are currently well over a thousand job vacancies advertised in the nine counties along the Wild Atlantic Way.
These findings support many of the job creation reports coming out of the West of Ireland in the last twelve months. Industries such as manufacturing in Kerry and Clare, biotechnology and IT in Sligo and life sciences in Limerick are seeing the lions share of growth.
Employers in this region are now on the hunt to attract the highly skilled workers needed to sustain this growth away from the Capital.
Jo O’Connell, HR Business Partner with Cook Medical, Limerick
“In recent years, the mid-west has become a global hub of medical technology. The medical technology sector in Ireland currently employs over 38,000 people and is worth ‚¬12.6 billion to the economy. Growth across our business and the sector has led to an increased demand for staff in areas such as engineering, data analysis, regulatory and quality. We look forward to hearing from anyone who is looking to relocate to the west.
“Joining Cook Medical means you’ll have the best of both worlds, a progressive career in a global MedTech company with the Wild Atlantic Way on your doorstep. Enjoy a balanced lifestyle while building a career with Cook at our location in Limerick. Combining all of this with the company’s strong culture and values, it’s no wonder once people move to the west & join Cook, they stay.”
It’s a similar story in Donegal. Pramerica established a base in the North West twenty years ago and has grown to more than 1600 employees
Alan Fletcher, Talent Acquisition Manager, Pramerica, Letterkenny
“ Many of these people have moved from national and international locations to have a high calibre tech career in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Pramerica is able to offer global career opportunities in a unique location, with positions available in Software development, Financial Services, Data Science & Analytics to name a few.”
Building a world-class career in the West of Ireland is now an option available to professionals from all sectors.
Alan Mooney, Talent Acquisition Officer, The Kirby Group, Limerick
“The West of Ireland holds a wealth of opportunities for construction and engineering professionals to build extraordinary long term careers, Kirby Group are actively recruiting for a wide range of Mechanical and Electrical roles and we would encourage experienced professionals to look to the West to build long term sustainable careers.”
As more companies expand across the Wild Atlantic Way then professionals can enjoy a choice of companies and career options.
Maura Moroney Senior HRBP Global Operations, Natus, Galway
“As Natus Galway grows it continues to provide opportunities for our teams to build rewarding global careers while enjoying the lifestyle that living on the Wild Atlantic Way offers.”
A more affordable life outside Dublin
The jobs growth along the West of Ireland is good news for anyone who is thinking of relocating, particularly as rents reach an all-time high in the cities of Dublin, Cork and Galway.
Data published by Daft.ie show an increasing average rental cost across Dublin City (‚¬2,046), Cork City (‚¬1,331), and Limerick City (‚¬1,195). Along the Wild Atlantic Way, however, the average cost of rent in Kerry (‚¬848), Clare (‚¬832), Mayo (‚¬731), Sligo (‚¬760), Leitrim (‚¬590), Donegal (‚¬645) is significantly less[i].
Recent research conducted among Dublin-based employees shows that almost half (49%) of workers would leave the capital city, if it meant they spend less time commuting each day. Almost a quarter of these workers (23%) have a commute of at least one hour, spending large amounts of their day sitting in traffic.
This is in stark contrast to the West of Ireland, which boasts some of the lowest commute times in the country. CSO stats show that commute times of under 23 minutes are being enjoyed by those living and working in Donegal, Sligo, and Kerry[ii].
Relocating to the West of Ireland can offer professionals better opportunities with a greater distribution of jobs and prosperity. While data published by the CSO shows the average yearly disposable income per person in Dublin (‚¬23,298)[iii] is slightly higher than that of people in Wild Atlantic Way counties like Sligo (‚¬19,001), Leitrim (‚¬18,285), Clare (‚¬18,082), and Kerry (‚¬17,908)[iv], the lower cost of living in these counties means workers’ incomes go further, leaving them with the option to apportion more to doing the things that they love.
A better distribution of jobs across Ireland
Orla Moran, General Manager, IrishJobs.ie
“Once upon a time, the perception amongst many ambitious professionals was that you needed to be in Dublin in order to maximise your career. This is no longer the case.
“This year alone we have seen significant job growth in Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Sligo and employers like Kirby Engineering, Pramerica and Cook Medical are luring highly sought-after professionals West of the Shannon. Our research suggests this is a trend that is set to continue, particularly amongst professionals with young children who see the benefits of more affordable housing, shorter commutes, and a higher standard of living. >
One of the key objectives of Project Ireland 2040 was to enable people to live closer to where they work, plan for a better distribution of jobs and prosperity, and stimulate urban regeneration in towns across Ireland. The development of the M20 Cork to Limerick road and the upgrade of the N4 are just two improvements that will enhance regional accessibility in the West. Equally, the government’s commitment to delivering on the National Broadband Plan will enable more and more companies and workers to locate outside of our cities.
“A more affordable cost of living, a less stressful environment and a shorter commute times are all compelling reasons to relocate.”
1 https://www.daft.ie/report/2019-Q1-rentalprice-daftreport.pdf
2 https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp6ci/p6cii/p6td/
3https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/cirgdp/countyincomesandregionalgdp2016/
4 https://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=CIA01