Morgan McKinley’s report examines how the Irish talent market in 2025 could impact trends and patterns in 2026.
Irish global professional services firm Morgan McKinley has published the findings of the 2026 Morgan McKinley Irish Salary Guide, which it says is Ireland’s most comprehensive salary analysis across a range of professional sectors.
The finding is that while the labor market is still active it is more disciplined. Irish employers continue to hire but do so with strict controls around demographics and retain salary premiums only for skills believed to be essential to delivery or risk management.
The report said, “Hiring has become more selective. Employers are raising expectations for both technical skills and soft skills, and more. local needs have increased. This change has greatly affected the talent outside the belt of Dublin riders. “
Take for example hiring in the fields of life sciences and engineering, which Morgan McKinley’s report found to be stable throughout the year 2025, despite some organizations adopting a cautious approach to permanent censuses due to internal restructuring. It is noteworthy that employment remains strong, particularly in sectors where skills shortages have persisted.
Candidates with biopharmaceutical experience have been in short supply, leading to intense competition for talent, lengthy hiring processes and high levels of resistance. The study also found that due to the increased recruitment processes in this space, candidates are often left behind due to competing offers, thus strengthening. persistent talent shortage.
I contract market in the middle life sciences and engineering found by Morgan McKinley to remain strong, supported capital investment projects across biopharma and medtech. The report explained that organizations are highly dependent contractors to bring expertise, project-based expertise and maintain flexibility.
Similar to permanent positions in this space, contract roles have become more multi-skilled and project-focused, and have led to longer interview processes, as employers take more time to ensure that candidates meet specific and technical criteria.
In the technology ecosystem, the most in-demand roles have been found as data engineering positions, cybersecurity analysis and GRC expertise, machine learning engineering and data science, AI testing and AI ethics, automation and DevOps.
Employment continues to evolve rapidly and while overall demand has stabilized following the global restructuring experienced by several major technology firms, significant shortages persist in AI, machine learning, data engineering and cybersecurity.
New roles for AI auditors and ethicists have emerged as a response to regulatory frameworks, while candidates value flexibility and independence more than primary salary growth.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Trayc Keevans, global FDI director at Morgan McKinley, said, “Employers are not backing down, but they are very willing.
“Instead, we’re seeing new, less defined roles enter the market, including AI auditors, ESG data managers, cyber and operational resilience experts and regulatory change program managers, as employers target clear skills gaps that were out of scale even two years ago.”
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