Ireland at a Glance

Working in Ireland

Modern glass facades have come to be a very common sight in Ireland.

Working in Ireland has been a must for many foreigners since the era of the “Celtic Tiger”. While the nation has severely felt the effects of the recession, there are still possibilities for expats planning on working in Ireland. Read more about the economy and business culture on InterNations!

Working in Ireland: Economic Transformation

If you consider the orientation of the nation’s economy today, it might come as a surprise that less than a generation ago, the majority of the population was still working in Ireland’s agricultural sector. As the economic climate slowly began to change, the public sector grew in importance and a third of people working in Ireland at the time found employment there.

Having had to overcome an economic crisis in the 1980s, the government introduced measures to make working in Ireland both profitable and sustainable again. After cuts in taxes and public spending, the focus shifted towards enticing private companies to set up shop and start working in Ireland. The plan proved fruitful, and with more and more international companies working in Ireland, the nation quickly rose to a place among the wealthiest in the OECD.

The period of unprecedented economic growth and rapid change toward a modern, trade-dependent knowledge economy is known as the “Celtic Tiger”. With more multinational corporations came an influx of expats interested in working in Ireland. The Celtic Tiger had utmost importance in shaping and strengthening the Irish economy into a competitive and attractive market.

Working in Ireland: National Economic Pillars

As in many other industrialized countries, Ireland’s agriculture has long been overtaken in importance by services and industry. While over 60% of the nation’s total area is used for agriculture, only about 7% of the population has found employment working in Ireland’s agricultural sector.

Most employees today are working in Ireland’s large services and industry sectors. Exports are particularly important for the nation’s GDP. Ireland is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of pharmaceuticals and computer hardware and software.

The nation’s membership in the EEA attracted countless multinationals producing and working in Ireland while keeping an eye on the mainland. Ireland was ranked the second most globalized country worldwide in the Globalization Index 2010.

The wealth in natural resources is another important mainstay. Lead, zinc and natural gas are the main focuses of the mining industry. Ireland ranks among the highest in respect to both the number of sites and the tonnage exploited. As almost any region in the country has mineral deposits, working in Ireland’s mining industry has proved both sustainable and profitable for many people.

Working in Ireland: Effects of the 2008 Crisis

Ireland was among the first European countries to experience the harsh effects of the economic crisis of 2008. The many people working in Ireland’s construction industry (about 12% of the population) were hit particularly hard.

With unemployment rising rapidly and the nation on the brink of financial ruin, the government made it harder for expats to start working in Ireland. You will find specific information on this topic on the next page of this article. Although the country got a lot more particular about whom they allow to enter its business world, working in Ireland is not entirely out of reach.