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Two thirds will hire Xmas extras

Monday, October 08 12:47:20

Christmas may have come early for Ireland's growing number of unemployed, with statistics released this morning confirming that 67pc of employers intend to hire temporary workers over the holiday period.

This contrasts with just 45pc of employers in 2011, an increase of 22pc. Of this 67pc, 73pc plan to make these temporary workers permanent employees after the Christmas period, guaranteeing an employment boost in the New Year.

A total of 412 Irish employers were queried for the survey, meaning 276 will be in search of additional help this festive season, according to the research which was carried out by Peninsula Ireland in September. Irish managers from a wide range of industries were questioned.

"The holiday season may not necessarily start with the first snowfall but for many employers it commences early on," said Alan Price, Managing Director of Peninsula Ireland. "It is really encouraging that more Irish workers than last year are getting hired in the run up to the busy Christmas period. More employers are optimistic about the future, recruitment certainly shows this and a lot of the employers we are speaking to intend to make permanent a number of the staff they have temporarily hired.

"Christmas can be very hectic, as we all know, and many employers may have been complacent about growing their workforce in the past. There is a great sense of optimism from this news for companies and I would encourage them to utilise this time to better their business with the increase in spending during this time.

"Recruiting staff seems to be a clear sign in business confidence; I hope the recruitment drive lasts well into 2013. Employers should use this opportunity to gauge the best workers whilst short contracts of employment have been enforced."