Fáilte Ireland have recently published their 2025 Tourism Careers Labour Market Research, which surveys over 1,100 employers and workers across the hospitality sector in Ireland.
Here’s a breakdown of their findings:
Recruitment and Retention
‘Considerable’ difficulty hiring managers / supervisors dropped from 55% in 2021 to 29% in 2025. Chefs are the most difficult role to fill, with 52% of employers stating they face ‘considerable difficulty’ in hiring for culinary roles. The most common method of addressing staffing shortages has been through asking current employees for referrals, with 65% of employers using this to combat hiring challenges.
Staff Attitudes
86% of employees see hospitality as a long-term career path, which is an increase from 71% of staff in 2021. 51% of those surveyed said that they have a passion for the job/sector.
However, only 36% of workers strongly agree that they work acceptable hours.
Pay and Conditions
Fáilte Ireland’s report finds that 62% of workers find that pay conditions in the sector have improved in the last two years. Basic pay was found to be the top factor in attaining and retaining staff. However, only 20% of staff give their employers credit for pay rises.
Only 21% of workers feel that they are being paid what they’re worth. More than half of chefs specifically disagree that they are being paid what they’re worth.
For the full report see here.
