DERRY is the place to be for job-seekers - especially if you work in engineering or banking - a new report says.
According to the latest NIJobs.com and Ulster Bank monitor, the north west region has experienced a whopping 19 per cent rise in employment opportunities over the last three months.
Jobs in most demand in the region included nursing, sales and accountancy and finance.
But the last quarter saw also saw robust demand for jobs in banking, financial services and insurance, with the likes of Danske Bank, Bank of Ireland, Santander and Axa all active in the north west.
The latest NIJobs.com jobs report, analysed and interpreted by Ulster Bank’s chief economist Richard Ramsey, indicates that overall vacancy listings in Northern Ireland have dipped by 7 per cent in the third quarter, although there were marked regional variations.
Sam McIlveen, general manager of NIJobs.com, said: “It’s terrific to see jobs rise across the north west region, which can be attributed to a variety of factors and to companies such as Convergys and Firstsource. These global players are prolific recruiters.
“Jobs in are in demand in a number of sectors, and it’s also worth acknowledging the work of the local councils, chambers of commerce, enterprise bodies and Invest NI, who are all dedicated to supporting new and existing businesses and attracting new companies to invest in the area.”
Mr Ramsey believes the overall fall in job listings does not fully reflect recruitment trends in Northern Ireland.
He said: “Derry is bucking the wider trend with a notable increase in employment opportunities. Over one-third of all employment categories posted a rise in vacancies in the third quarter.
"A number of employment categories that reported a decrease in job vacancies in Northern Ireland actually saw rises in Derry, including nursing, healthcare & medical; education, childcare & training; sales; and accountancy and finance.
“In terms of top performers, IT remains the dominant sector accounting for more than one in 10 of all job vacancies. The sector saw a 7 per cent quarter-on-quarter rise, although Derry was one area to see a decline in vacancies."
