Irish workers face shrinking access to flexible jobs as new analysis shows majority still required on-site and in the office.
The JobLeads study of nearly 48,000 vacancies reveals a widening divide in who benefits from remote and hybrid roles, with flexibility concentrated among higher earners and Dublin-based employers.
Ireland’s shift toward flexible work is slowing as new data from JobLeads indicates that more than four out of five jobs advertised in late 2025 still require employees to be on-site every day.
“Flexible work in Ireland as is benefit increasingly concentrated among the highest earning segments of the workforce”
The findings come from an analysis of 47,870 active job postings and a nationwide survey of 14,676 workers.
Flexibility for the few
According to the study, only 3.7% of roles advertised offered remote work and 13.4% offered hybrid arrangements. A large majority, 82.9%, required full-time presence.
One JobLeads analyst described flexible work in Ireland as “a benefit increasingly concentrated among the highest earning segments of the workforce.”
The research reveals that demand for flexibility continues to outpace supply. More than 43% of workers surveyed said they wanted remote roles, while only a fraction of available positions supported that preference. Hybrid roles were sought by 56% of respondents, yet just over one in eight job postings offered that option. The result is a significant mismatch between employee expectations and employer offerings.
The findings also highlight substantial differences in access based on income. Workers earning less than €40,000 a year had only 5% access to flexible roles. Employees earning between €40,000 and €60,000 had a similar experience.
By contrast, almost one in three workers earning between €125,000 and €150,000 reported access to flexible arrangements, the highest proportion of any income group. The rate for workers earning more than €200,000 fell to 9%.
A JobLeads spokesperson said the figures show that “flexibility has become a premium benefit in the Irish labour market.”
The data suggests that lower paid workers now experience a level of flexibility similar to that seen among high earners before the widespread remote work shift triggered by the pandemic.
The study also reveals regional inequalities. Dublin remains the strongest market for flexible roles with 22% of vacancies offering hybrid or remote options. Cork follows with 14% and Galway and Limerick each record approximately 11%. Cities outside Dublin continue to lag far behind the capital in offering flexible arrangements to attract talent.
Local labour market observers say flexible work has become a key factor in retaining and recruiting skilled staff, particularly in professional and technology focused roles. Yet many sectors continue to rely heavily on on-site operations, limiting the ability of employers to meet changing worker expectations.
JobLeads based its findings on proprietary data collected from October to December 2025.
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
