Almost half of all work in Ireland has been done from home since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, one of the highest rates in the EU.
New research by Eurofound shows 47 per cent of work has been done remotely in Ireland since the start of the pandemic, a figure only exceeded by Belgium.
It was followed by Italy at 47 per cent, Spain at 45 per cent and France 43 per cent.
In Croatia, just 19 per cent of work was conducted from home during the early stages of the pandemic.
In total 22 per cent of respondents working from reported difficulty concentrating on work because of family obligations, compared to 8 per cent of those working in other locations.
Meanwhile, a separate report, published by recruitment software Occupop, found a significant surge in the number of job applications and hires across a number of sectors between January 2019 and August 2020.
Application for jobs in the food processing industry increased by 188 per cent, construction sectors rose by 94 per cent and the healthcare sector saw a 94 per cent increase in applications.
The report identified a drop in applications in transport (-60 per cent), hospitality (-33 per cent) and marketing (-36 per cent).
In addition, the study found that people are using social media sites to to apply for jobs. Job applications received through Facebook are up 7,267 per cent and the number of applications coming fro LinkedIn is up by 1,475 per cent.
The best months for hiring in Ireland were January and February of this year before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country. The worst months for hiring were July and August.
