Gavan O’Brien
Managing Director, gradireland
The graduate recruitment sector remains robust in both the public and private sector despite a volatile global market and the uncertainty surrounding the impact of AI.
The graduate recruitment landscape has remained remarkably resilient for the past decade. At gradireland, we have seen this in the strength of our employer partnerships and resilience of student engagement, reflected in consistently high attendance at our careers events.
Graduate careers market trends
Many employers are integrating AI-driven processes into their recruitment and selection tools. The technology itself has impacted the jobs market, primarily toward the younger end of that market, which is where graduate jobs are. Increasingly, AI is becoming part of graduate roles, rather than completely replacing them, and the hiring trends among major graduate recruiters remain positive.
Over 90% of tertiary graduates
find employment within nine
months of graduation.
Robust jobs market in Ireland
Ireland boasts an exceptionally high employment rate for recent graduates. According to Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, over 90% of tertiary graduates find employment within nine months of graduation — well above the EU average. CSO also points to a 75% employment rate for those aged 15–64 in Q1 2025, with 2.8 million employed. Full-time positions account for 79% of these, with notable growth in technology and education.
Global uncertainty makes its presence felt, but graduate programmes in both the private and public sectors remain highly competitive. Those most invested in technological investment, such as the professional services firms known as the ‘Big4’ (Pwc, EY, KPMG and Deloitte) and public sector organisations such as Dept of Education and the Central Bank, actively recruit large numbers of graduates, offering structured mentorship, training and career progression pathways. Salaries for graduate positions in these companies remain highly competitive, often in the region of €30,000–€40,000.
Well-developed graduate recruitment
Ireland’s robust graduate recruitment landscape reflects a generally vibrant jobs market and a strong economy. While events beyond the control of graduate recruitment can affect what the future brings, the well-developed fundamentals of graduate recruitment are strong. Companies know the positive impact of the graduate workforce, so there is still every reason, despite reasonable caution, to be optimistic about the future.
