Financial news Ireland – job market news, recruitment & career trends in Ireland for the finance sector

Bank of Ireland has transferred over 2,000 staff from its retail banking division in the Republic to the group's central support functions in the face of reduced business activity. Elsewhere, total headcount has reduced by just 5%, but a hiring freeze remains and bonuses have been slashed as part of an ongoing cost-cutting exercise. "Staff numbers are down as a result of a recruitment freeze, a policy of non-replacement of... Read more

At best, banking salaries in Ireland have been frozen this year and in worst-case scenarios, they're actually being reduced. However, bank employees should stand up for their rights and ensure they at least receive the minimum rise required by law. Larry Broderick, general secretary of the Irish Bank Officials' Association says that bank staff - faced with pay cuts, possible redundancy and reduced pension provision - should demand that any salary... Read more

Two words can be used to largely sum up the financial services jobs market in Ireland this year – hiring freeze. While it’s true that the vast majority of sectors suffered, some managed to fare well in the face of adversity. 2009 has been a good year for… Insurance: The number of new jobs created might not be astronomical, but the fact that Ireland has continued to attract new insurance entrants to... Read more

A new survey by recruitment firm Joslin Rowe suggests that financial services hiring activity in Ireland is soaring, while growth in Scotland is more modest. Recruitment in Dublin soared between April and May, with permanent hiring activity increasing by a massive 53% month on month. “The financial services sector in Ireland is booming. One of the biggest areas is the funds area, and the fund administration area,” says Helen O’Reilly, head... Read more

We've all seen variations on the list of common questions interviewers ask, but how much have you thought about what questions you should ask a potential employer? The best interviews are really conversations, as well they should be. You want to know if the position is the right fit - just as much as the company does. After all, the work you do makes up a good portion of your waking... Read more

Bank of Ireland Asset Management is looking to hire 18 new staff in the next few weeks. The banks hopes to boost its numbers adding three investment managers and 15 research specialists in a bid to win back lost clients, Businessworld.ie reports. Mick Sweeney, chief executive of BIAM says the business has restructured to include the introduction of a global research platform to “accelerate turnaround in our performance.”

London may pay its financial services employees almost 38% more, but once rent and bills are paid Irish workers may be better off at the end of the month. And it’s all down to tax. A new survey by UBS investment bank shows that workers in Dublin have the third highest purchasing power in the world. The Irish Times reports that after paying for essential goods and services, Dubliners are able... Read more

Stockbroking and corporate finance firm Merrion Capital is boosting its capabilities in Ireland with a new office in Cork and additional new hires. “We will get bigger over the next two or three months, but we will probably expect to hire six or seven people in the new year into stockbroking and corporate finance,” says finance director Michael Hutton. “We will be looking for reasonably senior level revenue generators. We are... Read more

“May you die in Ireland” is a phrase used as a blessing, not a curse. These days, living in the Irish capital is the blessing sought by many prospective employees. The Celtic Tiger economy has catapulted Dublin into the premier league of financial centres, with heavyweight names like Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, State Street, Commerzbank, Sumitomo, BNP Paribas and ABN Amro all firmly ensconced in the heart of the city. In the... Read more

Solicitors say UK government plans to introduce a new points-based immigration system will make it easier for non-EU financial services employees to work in the country. Julia Onslow Cole, a partner at law firm CMS Cameron McKenna, says in future most banking employees will be able to enter the UK without lining up a job in advance. Under the new system, migrants who amass more than 75 points after meeting a... Read more

A new survey suggests that finance and human resources staff in the UK, Australia and Ireland move overseas for the pure joy of travelling. By comparison, their counterparts in France and Germany tend to move abroad for career reasons. The survey, of 1,800 international finance and HR professionals by Robert Half International, found that 68% and 63% respectively of those surveyed in France and Germany cited a career move as the... Read more

It’s official: the Scottish and Irish financial services job markets are hotter than in England – but only for temporary roles. A new study by financial services recruiter the Blomfield Group shows temporary staff in Edinburgh and Dublin can find roles more quickly than their counterparts in London. While Scottish and Irish financial services temps can walk into new roles in an average of just three and two days respectively, their London... Read more

Carin Bryans is head of the Irish business at JPMorgan. Last month, JPMorgan Hedge Fund Services won a mandate to support $2bn (€1.6bn) of funds for Henderson Global Investors. In light of this, we asked her about plans to grow the Irish business. Q: Is JPMorgan hiring in Dublin? At the moment we have around 400 staff in the Dublin office. This year we are looking to hire for another 200.... Read more

An international shortage of financial services talent is creating a brain drain from smaller markets according to one recruiter. “Whenever conditions are strong in Asia, London, or New York, analyst and associate level bankers who are seeking a more international career make the most of the opportunity to move on,” says Victoria Biggs, a consultant at Sydney-based Jon Michel Executive Search. “We are seeing a real exodus at the junior level,”... Read more

Bank of Ireland Asset Management, the beleaguered Irish fund manager, has appointed three managing directors to replace chief investment officer Chris Reilly, who is due to retire in March 2007. Reilly, who Dublin sources said is arguably Ireland’s most influential fund manager, is a former City of London securities analyst and has been group head of investments for more than two decades. His role will be split between three people after he... Read more

Corporate financiers who are burning out in London’s overheated market may fancy heading west for a quieter life – recruiters say there are jobs to be had in Dublin. “There are a number of corporate finance openings in Ireland,” says Charlie Cullen, a consultant at Dublin-based recruiter Coxfitzsimons&wilkes. “Anyone who has got investment banking experience and an accounting qualification is very, very desirable.” Compared to the UK, the Irish market is... Read more