Brexit, the Pandemic and the acceptance of remote working have led to more IT professionals looking to travel and work. In fact, 40% of Europeans now work remotely compared to 5% two years ago. However, it isn’t just remote working that has IT professionals looking to work overseas. The draw of adventure, opportunity and higher salaries are also driving them to work abroad. Specifically, in European countries. No wonder given that Europe has so much to offer.
IT Careers In Europe
Outside of the USA and the original Silicon Valley, Europe has long been the go-to destination for IT professionals. Even with the recent bumps in the road (aka the news from Meta and Twitter) Europe still has a thriving tech sector.
Dublin, Ireland, has long been one of the best cities in Europe to work in IT. With London, Amsterdam and Berlin also ranking in the top 5. Among the heavy hitting IT employers that call Dublin home are Linkedin, Indeed, Pinterest, Accenture, Tik Tok and Google. In fact, the top 5 Software companies in the world have a presence in Ireland. Aside from this, Ireland boasts more than 5000 ICT organisations of which 233 are foreign owned. Not bad for a country of only 5 million residents and 84 thousand square metres.
European Work-life Balance
When it comes to work-life balance, European countries are repeatedly ranked as the best. Studies have proven that Europe is continuously improving employee well-being by encouraging a healthier balance between work and lifestyle.
Ireland currently ranks in the top 10 European countries with the best work-life balance, along with Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain.
The measuring of work-life balance takes different factors into account, such as (but not limited to):
- Access to healthcare
Almost all countries in Europe have access to healthcare for all citizens. This varies from country to country with some offering free healthcare and others offering subsidies. In some European countries, healthcare can be accessed for free but is technically paid for by high income tax rates.
- Available leave (statutory, paid, illness and maternity)
The average amount of annual paid leave in Europe is 4 weeks. Many European employers also offer paid leave for public and bank holidays.
Of the 44 countries in Europe, nearly 70% provide paid maternity leave and of the 27 EU member states, 85% recognise Paternity leave.
- Minimum wage
Minimum wages vary across Europe but exist, in some form, in each country. Among the top 10 countries with the highest minimum wage are France, Ireland and Luxembourg.
- A country’s happiness level
Every year the UN conducts a global happiness study known as the World Happiness Report. The components on which this report is based include, “income, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on in times of trouble, generosity, freedom and trust, with the latter measured by the absence of corruption in business and government.”
According to the 2022 World Happiness Report, 16 of the happiest countries in the world are in Europe. Globally and in Europe, Ireland ranks as the 13th happiest country.
Remote IT Job Opportunities In Europe
Globally the number of remote job listings has tripled. Whereas in Europe, Ireland, the UK and Spain have the highest remote jobs increases.
Seamus Breslin, Managing Director of Solas IT Recruitment in Ireland, says, “We are definitely seeing a trend toward remote work becoming a standard component for IT roles in Ireland. More than half of our clients are advertising remote jobs, whereas pre-2019 there would be hardly any remote roles.”
Finding IT Jobs In Ireland
The best way to find an IT job in Ireland is to use a specialist IT Recruitment Agency. For you, the job candidate, the services of recruitment companies in Ireland are free. Specialist IT recruitment agencies, like Solas IT Recruitment, only work with IT professionals and are IT Career experts. A huge benefit of finding an IT role through an agency like Solas IT is that our Recruitment Consultants are well-connected with IT employers. Our consultants are always focused on the best fit too, only putting you forward for roles that suit your needs and experience.
For the latest IT jobs available in Ireland, see www.solasit.ie/jobs
Sources: Europa, Irish Central, OwlLabs, Euronews, Yaxis, The HR Director, IronHack
