TL;DR
Yes, on the current data. MORT's ATS feed recorded 743 new Irish job postings in the week of 17-24 Aug 2026 - up 21.6% week-on-week and 16.3% above the mid-June 2026 baseline (639). Ireland is now the only tracked European country solidly above its own baseline. Germany hit a fresh 13-week low (3,492, -28.0% vs baseline). Spain hit a fresh low (900, -34.9%). France remains at 2,961 (-28.2%). External data (IrishJobs, Indeed Hiring Lab, Bullhorn, OECD) corroborates the divergence.
The headline: Ireland is at a 13-week high while Germany and Spain hit 13-week lows
MORT tracks new job postings from company ATS platforms - Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, SmartRecruiters, JazzHR, and others - for a rolling 7-day window every week. The mid-June 2026 reading (17-24 Jun) is the baseline against which every subsequent week is compared.
In the week of 17-24 Aug 2026, Ireland posted 743 new job listings on that feed - up 21.6% from 611 the prior week, and 16.3% above the 639 baseline. It is the highest single-week reading for Ireland in 13 consecutive weeks of tracking. Meanwhile Germany fell to a fresh 13-week low, Spain fell to a fresh 13-week low, and France remained at nearly 30% below its baseline.
| Country | W35 listings (17-24 Aug) | WoW change | vs Jun baseline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 743 | +21.6% | +16.3% (13-wk HIGH) |
| United States | 46,918 | +4.7% | +2.0% |
| Canada | 3,288 | +1.0% | -3.5% |
| India | 2,768 | +5.1% | -7.1% |
| Australia | 1,405 | +7.8% | -8.4% |
| Netherlands | 1,852 | +9.9% | -10.1% |
| United Kingdom | 8,651 | +52.4% | -15.2% |
| Germany | 3,492 | -7.7% | -28.0% (13-wk LOW) |
| France | 2,961 | +13.4% | -28.2% |
| Spain | 900 | -12.1% | -34.9% (13-wk LOW) |
Full-feed ATS counts (not a sample). 7-day window ending 24 Aug 2026. WoW compares to the week of 10-17 Aug 2026 (W34). Jun baseline is the week of 17-24 Jun 2026 (W26). Only Ireland is solidly above baseline; the US is fractionally above (+2.0%) after crossing below last week.
The Ireland trajectory: from oscillation to a fresh high
Ireland is a small tracked market by volume - Irish postings have moved between 519 and 713 per week across the twelve weeks preceding this report. What changed in the week of 17-24 Aug is that the count broke above the prior 12-week high (713 in the week of 20-27 Jul 2026) and above the June baseline (639) by a wider margin than any prior reading.
| Week window | Ireland new listings | vs Jun baseline (639) |
|---|---|---|
| 17-24 Jun (baseline) | 639 | — |
| 22-29 Jun | 544 | -14.9% |
| 29 Jun-6 Jul (Jul 4 week) | 577 | -9.7% |
| 6-13 Jul | 659 | +3.1% |
| 13-20 Jul | 608 | -4.9% |
| 20-27 Jul | 713 | +11.6% |
| 27 Jul-3 Aug | 624 | -2.3% |
| 3-10 Aug | 593 | -7.2% |
| 10-17 Aug | 611 | -4.4% |
| 17-24 Aug | 743 | +16.3% ▲ NEW HIGH |
Full-feed ATS counts for Ireland (country_code IE), 7-day rolling windows. Baseline is Run 1 of the weekly MORT market-report series.
Ireland spent the first six weeks after baseline running below it - a summer dip that mirrored the broader European seasonal pattern. From late July it oscillated around the baseline. The W35 reading is the first that clearly breaks the ceiling of the prior range.
Three external data sources say Ireland is holding up
A single-week ATS reading on a small country is only mildly interesting on its own. What makes the Ireland signal worth flagging is that three independent, non-MORT sources point the same way.
| Source | Metric | Reading | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| MORT ATS feed | Irish new postings (7-day) | 743 (17-24 Aug 2026) | New 13-week high, +16.3% vs baseline |
| IrishJobs Hiring Trends | Employers who increased hiring | 39% (Spring/Summer 2026) | Up from 33% in Autumn 2025 |
| Indeed Hiring Lab Ireland | Q3 2026 employment | 2,825,500 (+30,600 YoY) | Positive year-on-year |
| Indeed Hiring Lab Ireland | Irish unemployment (July 2026) | 5.1% | Low by European standards |
Sources: MORT ATS feed (proprietary); IrishJobs Hiring Trends Update Spring/Summer 2026; Indeed Hiring Lab Ireland 2026 Jobs & Hiring Trends Report.
The Indeed Hiring Lab and IrishJobs reports both flag the same demand composition: strong ongoing hiring in IT, healthcare, engineering, and life sciences. They also flag that Irish employers describe skills-fit as their number one hiring challenge and rising salary expectations from candidates as their number two - a pattern more consistent with a tight market that has lots of demand than a slack market with lots of supply.
The opposite picture: Germany, Spain, France
At the other end of the tracked European countries, three markets deepened their slowdowns in the same week.
| Country | W35 listings | WoW change | vs Jun baseline | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 3,492 | -7.7% | -28.0% | 13-week LOW; below prior low of 3,671 (W32) |
| Spain | 900 | -12.1% | -34.9% | 13-week LOW |
| France | 2,961 | +13.4% | -28.2% | Partial WoW rebound but still deep below baseline |
Full-feed ATS counts, 7-day window 17-24 Aug 2026. WoW vs 10-17 Aug (W34). Baseline is 17-24 Jun 2026.
Germany's new 13-week low is corroborated by an ATS-platform signal pointing the same way. Personio - the DACH-focused SMB ATS - has now recorded seven consecutive weeks of decline, from a peak of 2,321 in the week of 13-20 Jul to 1,173 in W35 (-49.5% from peak). Two separate data views (Germany country total, DACH ATS platform total) moving down in the same direction over the same two months is a stronger signal than either would be alone.
Structural context aligns. The OECD Employment Outlook 2026 report on Germany found that German labour market tightness has fallen more than in any other OECD country - to 0.3 vacancies per unemployed person in Q1 2026, below pre-crisis (Q4 2019) levels. German unemployment is running at over a 4-year high per Trading Economics' latest read.
Two caveats before you plan a move
A single strong week for Ireland is a data point, not yet a trend confirmation. Two things are worth flagging honestly:
1. Absolute volumes are small. Ireland posted 743 new listings in the 7-day W35 window. The US, for comparison, posted 46,918. Ireland's outperformance is about direction relative to its own baseline, not about absolute market size. If you are moving from a country with millions of open roles, you are moving to a market where a strong week is measured in hundreds.
2. Skills-fit is Ireland's number one hiring challenge, not volume. The IrishJobs Hiring Trends Update flags skills-fit as the top challenge for Irish employers, and rising salary expectations from candidates as the second. That pattern means that showing up with a resume that clearly matches the actual technical or professional requirements of a specific Irish role matters more than applying to many roles.
What this means for job seekers right now
If you are considering geographic options within Europe and your background is in IT, healthcare, engineering, or life sciences, Ireland is the market that the data currently supports as expanding rather than contracting.
Match your resume to Irish role requirements, not generic ones. Ireland's number-one employer challenge is skills-fit, not applicant volume. The candidate whose resume actually reflects the technical and professional requirements of a specific Irish job description will be filtered in ahead of a stronger applicant whose resume was written for a different market.
Salary research your ask. Rising salary expectations from candidates were flagged as the number-two employer challenge in Ireland. Do Irish-specific market research on the pay band for your role and level before asking - importing a Frankfurt or San Francisco expectation into a Dublin interview is a real reason offers do not come through.
Timing still matters. Analysis of application timing across markets shows that candidates applying within 24 hours of a posting going live are significantly more likely to get a response than those applying on day 5 or later. In a country with a smaller volume of listings, catching each relevant new role early - before the initial wave of applicants - is even more valuable.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ireland hiring while the rest of Europe is slowing down?
Yes, on the current data. MORT's ATS feed recorded 743 new Irish job postings in the week of 17-24 Aug 2026 - a 21.6% week-on-week rise and a new 13-week tracking high, 16.3% above the mid-June 2026 baseline of 639. Ireland is the only tracked European country genuinely above its own baseline. Germany hit a new 13-week low at 3,492 (-28.0% vs baseline). Spain hit a new 13-week low at 900 (-34.9%). France remains at 2,961 (-28.2%). External corroboration: IrishJobs reported 39% of Irish employers increased hiring in spring/summer 2026 (up from 33% in autumn 2025), and Indeed Hiring Lab recorded Q3 2026 Irish employment +30,600 year-on-year to 2,825,500.
How many jobs are being posted in Ireland right now?
MORT's direct ATS feed tracked 743 new Irish job postings in the 7-day window of 17-24 Aug 2026 - up 21.6% from 611 the prior week and 16.3% above the mid-June 2026 baseline of 639. That is the highest single-week reading for Ireland in 13 consecutive weeks of tracking. The prior tracking high was 713 (week of 20-27 Jul 2026). Full-feed count, not a sample.
What roles are Irish employers hiring for?
Indeed Hiring Lab and IrishJobs' 2026 reports point to strong ongoing demand in IT, healthcare, engineering, and life sciences. Irish unemployment stood at 5.1% in July 2026 and Q3 2026 employment increased by 30,600 year-on-year to a total of 2,825,500 people. The IrishJobs Hiring Trends update also flags skills-fit (rather than volume) as the number one hiring challenge for Irish employers, and rising salary expectations as the number two challenge.
Which European countries are seeing the biggest hiring slowdowns in August 2026?
Germany, Spain, and France. In the week of 17-24 Aug 2026, MORT's ATS feed recorded 3,492 new German postings (a new 13-week low, -28.0% vs the mid-June baseline of 4,849), 900 Spanish postings (a new 13-week low, -34.9% vs the baseline of 1,383), and 2,961 French postings (-28.2% vs baseline). Personio - the DACH-focused SMB ATS platform - fell to 1,173 postings this week, its 7th consecutive weekly decline and now -49.5% below its 13-Jul peak of 2,321. The OECD Employment Outlook 2026 confirmed labour market tightness in Germany has fallen the most across the OECD, to 0.3 vacancies per unemployed person - below pre-crisis (Q4 2019) levels.
Should I look for jobs in Ireland?
If you are considering geographic mobility within Europe and your skills are in IT, healthcare, engineering, or life sciences, the data supports Ireland as a market where hiring is currently expanding rather than contracting. Note two caveats. First: single-week volumes for Ireland are small (743 postings in a 7-day window) compared to larger European markets - the relative outperformance is what matters, not absolute volume. Second: IrishJobs' 2026 hiring update flags skills-fit as the number one hiring challenge for Irish employers - so applying to roles where your skills genuinely match the requirements is critical. MORT is an AI job-matching platform for people who want to apply to more relevant jobs in less time. It scans thousands of company career pages, scores every job 0-100% for compatibility with your skills and experience, and generates a tailored resume for each application.
Apply to Irish roles where your skills genuinely match
MORT is an AI job-matching platform for people who want to apply to more relevant jobs in less time. It scans thousands of company career pages, scores every job 0-100% for compatibility with your skills and experience, and generates a tailored resume for each application.
Sources
- MORT Job Market Data, week of 17-24 Aug 2026 (MORT ATS feed,
scripts/market-report-fetch.mjs) - proprietary data - IrishJobs, "Hiring Trends Update Spring/Summer 2026": irishjobs.ie
- Indeed Hiring Lab UK & Ireland, "Indeed's 2026 Ireland Jobs & Hiring Trends Report: Building on a Solid Base": hiringlab.org
- OECD Employment Outlook 2026 - Germany: oecd.org
- Trading Economics, "German Unemployment Holds at Over 4-Year High": tradingeconomics.com
- Bullhorn UK, "UK Job Market Trends": bullhorn.com
- Robert Half, "July 2026 Labor Market Update": roberthalf.com