Roar of the other Tigers
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An unprecedented 18 countries have taken stands at the Opportunities Fair at Croke Park next month. While the Irish building industry has ground to a crawl, Poland's construction is booming and wages have doubled.
The Polish stand in Croke Park, at the end of February, will be delighted to share the good news and extol the benefits of a return to Krakow, Gdansk or Bydgoszsz.
While a rise in unemployment is being predicted for Ireland this year, Estonia boasts almost full employment and her reps will be here next month hoping to recruit sales and marketing staff, as well as information technology specialists.
Norway is looking for any workers it can get.
An ever-increasing number of immigrant workers, 33,000 in 2003 to 51,000 in 2005, was estimated to have added over three per cent to the Irish economy between those years.
Our economic success was dependent upon a generous flow of immigrant workers to fill the less well-paid jobs.
But this is 2008 and a slowing economy will not be sufficient to sustain such a massive yearly influx.
Improved employment opportunity in at least some of the growing economies to the east is good news for a young, flexible and mobile European workforce.
