Growing fears among South-East-based workers over artificial intelligence (AI) - Kilkenny Live

There are growing fears among South-East-based workers that artificial intelligence (AI) technology will end up making their jobs obsolete, a new report on the Irish jobs market from FRS Recruitment has found.

According to the 2026 Employment Insights Report, half (50%) of workers in the South-East now believe that AI will either negatively impact or replace their current roles over the coming years. This figure is marginally higher than the total for all workers across the country at 45%.

Comparing the last five years of survey results, FRS Recruitment found that the use of AI in the workplace has grown from curiosity to capability. Results showed that the majority of workers began to experiment with AI in 2024 before it became a mainstream working tool in 2025.

Despite concerns for workers and employers’ expectations that AI will reshape work, the 2026 report reveals that only a fraction of companies in Ireland (3.6%) have so far used AI technology to replace a full job or role within their organisation. Although businesses do anticipate future disruption to the jobs market, large-scale workforce replacement has not yet materialised.

At the same time, employee adoption of AI continues to grow at pace. Over half of workers in the South-East (57%) now report using AI regularly or occasionally in their role. Despite the growth of AI technology adoption in the workplace, the 2026 Employment Insights Report found that just 15% of companies between Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow currently provide proper AI training to their staff.

HIRING

Overall, the Irish jobs market remains quite resilient despite the myriads of geopolitical and economic uncertainties that have emerged over the past year. Having slowed significantly last year, the 2026 Employment Insights Report from FRS Recruitment shows that business confidence has improved this year, with a significant uptick in hiring activity.

Almost two thirds (65%) of companies in Ireland have already commenced recruitment campaigns this year, representing an 11-point rise compared to the same time last year. A further 10% of companies say they intend to start hiring within the next 3 months.

The biggest stand out trend among employers so far in 2026 is the focus on retention. More than two-thirds (68%) of survey respondents said staff retention will be their number one priority in their company this year. Comparing this to 2023, employers were mainly seeking new staff. Today's employer is less worried about filling vacancies than losing experienced staff representing a major strategic shift for HR.

On the employee side, priorities have shifted away from working from home policies to career opportunities over the last 5 years. Coming out of lockdown in 2023, conversations about hybrid and remote working dominated job interviews and were cited by 28% of workers as a reason to change jobs. In 2024, more employers began to introduce return-to-office policies and now in 2026, the debate is largely over. Today's workforce accepts hybrid working as the normal model. Fully remote working continues to decline, accounting for just 4% of workers in the Southeast.

SALARY

One trend has remained dominant over the last 5 years even though the reasons may have changed; salary remains the dominant factor for workers when evaluating new opportunities with 83% of respondents identifying it as their top priority. In 2023, career opportunities and progression were the other main priorities for workers, however in 2026, all of the top factors affecting a worker’s choice were financially driven: the cost-of-living and financial security.

More than half of workers believe their current pay does not accurately reflect their responsibilities, while a majority expect to receive a salary increase over the coming year.