IrishJobs.ie survey forecasts how Ireland will look in 10 years’ time

• 4 in 10 believe we will be working less hours
• 24 per cent claim their job will be done by a robot in 10 years’ time
• More people will be renting (63 per cent)
• Paul O’Connell for President (15 per cent)
• 65 per cent believe we will still be able to buy a hard copy newspaper in 2025
• Cars will be self-driving according to 59 per cent
• People will be sharing less on social media (37 per cent)

An IrishJobs.ie survey of more than 2,500 people, both workers and jobseekers, forecasts how Ireland will look in 10 years’ time revealing great optimism and clear views on work, life and much more. 71 per cent, believe that the Irish economy will be better in 2025. 4 in 10 told IrishJobs.ie that they would not be working in the same industry in 10 years’ time.

46 per cent claim believe they could be doing a job in 2025 that currently doesn’t exist while 24 per cent claim that the job they do will be done by a robot by the year 2025. Reassuringly, this isn’t a concern for 73 per cent. 2 in 5 believe that we will be working less hours and working from home will be more common practice in 10 years time in the opinion of a significant majority of 85 per cent.

IrishJobs.ie carried out the survey to mark 20 years in business, Ireland’s leading jobs and careers website attracts 1.4 million visitors each month and features jobs from over 900 of businesses from multinationals to SMEs to start ups.

Looking back, the original 10-year survey done by IrishJobs.ie in 2005 turned up some interesting results, in hindsight:

In 2005, a majority believed that Ireland would continue on a path of economic growth (55 per cent) and 80 per cent expected that their career patch would change over the next decade. 7 in 10 predicted that Irish roads would still be over-flowing with traffic in 2015 and 55 per cent said that Sinn Fein would be in Government. 84 per cent of people said in 2005 that mobile phones would be even smaller in 2015.

The 2,500 people surveyed in a follow up to 2005 are made up of 43 per cent digital natives or millennials, born after 1980, and 57 per cent digital immigrants (a combination of Generation X and Baby Boomers).

The IrishJobs.ie survey asked respondents about politics: 77 per cent predict that there will be a female Taoiseach by the year 2025. 4 in 10 predict a Fianna Fail  / Fine Gael coalition in 2025. Paul O’Connell got the most votes for the person respondents see as President in 2025, with 15 per cent of the vote. Other options including Bono, Noirin O’Sullivan, Joan Burton, Panti Bliss were popular for approximately 8-10 per cent.

7 in 10 of respondents to the IrishJobs.ie survey claim that pension contributions will be mandatory in 10 year’s time.

Will we still be able to buy a hard copy newspaper in 2025? Yes is the answer, with 65 per cent certain that this will be the case.

Renting will be more common than buying a home according to 63 per cent.

Orla Moran, General Manager, IrishJobs.ie comments: “Our own timeline maps much change over 20 years in business for IrishJobs.ie both for the industry and in the jobs market. When the original 10 year survey was done online businesses were just becoming mainstream, since 2005 that change has accelerated and Ireland is now firmly established at the forefront of digital industry.”

She continues: “When you compare our two surveys – 2005 and now this one, 2015 – one thing that is clear to me is the tremendous optimism and positivity of Irish workers. What also shines through this time is that change and adaptability are now part and parcel of modern Irish working life with over 40 per cent telling us they won’t be in the same industry in 10 years time and almost half of respondents telling us they could be doing a job in 2025 that doesn’t currently exist.”

Finally, IrishJobs.ie asked respondents some quick questions on roads, cars, social media, Mars and the Eurovision:

• 77 per cent claim that there will be more traffic on the roads
• Dublin city centre will be a car free zone according to 57 per cent
• People will be sharing less on social media (37 per cent)
• More than half believe that our fridge will be ordering the groceries
• Cars will be self-driving according to 59 per cent
• The first manned trip to Mars will take place in the view of 52 per cent
• Ireland will not win the Eurovision by 2025 according to 63 per cent (42% were confident of Ireland’s chances of winning another Eurovision Song Contest in the next ten years – in 2005)