A recent analysis of online registrations onto the Midlandjobs database show that small but definite trends are starting to emerge.
Tullamore was selected as the location of choice amongst job-seekers – 51% of all candidates registered expressed an interest in hearing about jobs based in the town.
Athlone was the second choice at 42% and Mullingar third at 41% of the total no. of candidates saying it was one of their preferred places to work. (Longford and Portlaoise showed 23% and 22% respectively).
On the employer side however Tullamore only accounts for 12% of the total no. of companies registered with the site, with Athlone holding the greatest no. – 23% of the total and Mullingar just behind at 22% of the total.
So what do these numbers tell us if anything?
Possibly it’s saying that Tullamore is seen as a nice place to live and work. It could be saying that Tullamore is more commutable from the other main midlands towns than anywhere else with other towns of growing population within striking distance such as Birr, Portlaoise, Edenderry, Clara etc.
The strongest likelihood however is that Tullamore has a greater concentration of people commuting to Dublin city to work every day. People who are anxious to find more local work. And who can blame them as the dreary dark days of September loom again.