The last two years have been turbulent for companies, this in turn has led to talent shortages among other issues. From the Economic Trends Q4 survey, the experience of Cork Chamber companies mirrors that of companies globally – attracting the best candidates and recruiting people for the right roles has been a significant challenge for businesses of all sizes.

In the final Economic Trends survey of 2021, Cork Chamber asked members about their experience in the most recent business quarter, Q4 2021 (October, November, December) as well as the business outlook for the new year, the first quarter of 2022. The survey also gathered information on recruitment trends and the current experience of members when seeking to hire and retain employees in a competitive market for talent.

1. COVID-19

2. Cost competitiveness 

3. Skills availability

As with previous quarters, Covid-19 ranks as the top threat to business growth.

Our thanks to everyone for taking the time to complete this survey, which is circulated to over 1,000 of our member companies. Your feedback helps us build a more resilient economy for Cork. The winner of our Q4 participants prize is Gillian Whelan from Aspira who will receive a €200 Cork Chamber giftcard.

From an overall financial perspective, 92% of respondents report business confidence, this is a 1% increase on the previous quarter (Q3 2021) and compares well to 83% confidence reported in Q4 of 2020.