The construction industry could be unable to meet pent-up demand for housing and infrastructure, even when fully reopened, due to labour shortages and a boom and bust cycle in the sector, according to new research. | The report titled Job Quality in the Construction Sector warns that this could have serious implications for Ireland's housing and infrastructure building strategies, resulting in higher house prices and delays in other areas. | Job postings on e-recruitment platform IrishJobs.ie were up 34% in the first quarter of the year, compared to the final quarter of 2020. | The data suggests the Irish jobs market is steadily recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, vacancies increased by 5%, when compared to the same period last year. The most resilient sectors include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and IT. Hospitality and retail remain among the most subdued industries. | The construction sector also experienced significant levels of growth in the first three months of the year, where job listings within the sector grew by 45% compared to the previous quarter. This growth comes as the Irish construction sector began a phased reopening last week, resulting in a 7% increase in job postings within the sector, when compared to 2020. | Regarding job vacancies by location, Ireland's main cities have proven to be particularly resilient in the face of the third imposition of Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions, with all experiencing a rise in vacancy numbers quarter-on-quarter - Dublin +47%, Limerick +45%, Waterford +35%, Galway +21%, Cork +8%.   |||