The Central Bank and online jobs website Indeed have collaborated on a research paper which claims that data from online job searches can reveal which jobs are most in demand, and which areas are facing potential labour shortages.

The study also points to the type of job-seeker that uses Indeed. The jobs advertised on the site with the highest supply of potential applicants relative to openings are babysitter/nanny, van driver, floor staff, shop assistant and house cleaner.

The collaboration set out to discover how real-time insights from online data can supplement traditional data sources. The lead authors are Central Bank economist Reamonn Lydon and Indeed economist Pawel Adrjan, and their study developed a measure of labour market tightness by analysing the number of clicks on a job posting. 

The study found that advertised salaries are significantly higher in jobs that receive fewer clicks, indicating that the supply of potential workers is low. In addition, salary growth tends to be higher in occupations where the aggregate number of clicks is low relative to the total number of jobs. Hiring difficulties are greatest for highly skilled roles in healthcare, finance and engineering.

"We use the clicks tightness measure to identify jobs in Ireland with the highest and lowest level of tightness. This information is highly relevant to employers, policymakers and jobseekers," said Adrjan.

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