13th Annual NERI Labour Market Conference

The 13th Annual NERI Labour Market Conference in association with the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre provided a forum for the presentation of research papers on labour market issues (North and South of Ireland & international). 

It was held in Ulster University, York Street, Belfast, BT15 1ED on Thursday 29 May 2025 from 9:45 - 17:00.  Find the programme from the conference.

The links to the research papers are below as are the videos from the presentations in meeting room BC-03-115 in Ulster University.

Morning Plenary - A New Economic Model - Dr. Tom McDonnell, NERI & Michael Taft, SIPTU and the recording of the Morning Plenary Session.

Collective Bargaining - Session 1A

Is Ireland in breach of the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive? - Mr. Ger Gibbons, Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Begging or Bargaining?  The changing landscape of Collective Bargaining - Mr. Eoin Coates, Maynooth University & Trade Union Official & Dr. John Carty, University of Galway & Trade Union Official

Please find the recording of the Collective Bargaining Session.

Labour Market Trends - Serssion 1B

Continuity & change: Examining recent trends in the Irish labour market - Mr. Diarmuid Reidy, Department of Finance

A Systems Dynamics Approach to Identifying Intervention Levers & Enabling Analysis of Long-Term Unemployment in Ireland - Ms. Jane Morgan, Gendelity

Earnings of New Entrants to Employment - Dr. Eimear Heffernan, CSO

Northern Ireland Demographic Trends 2050 - Dr. Gareth Hetherington, Ulster University

Job quality - Session 1C

Job search without job quality - Ms. Aisling Tuite & Dr. Ray Griffin, SETU Waterford

Social Policy Kills: the absence of Lived Experience in Irish labour market policy - Dr. Ray Griffin, SETU Waterford (joint paper with Ms. Antoinette Jordan, SETU Waterford)

Good Jobs in NI - Mr. Glenn Parker, Department for the Economy NI

What does Ireland do?  A First Look at NERI’s new Dashboard - Dr. Lisa Wilson and Mr. Chris Smart, NERI

Skills -  Session 2A

Empirical Investigation of Skill Gaps in Europe - Ms. Elisa Staffa, ESRI (joint paper with Mr. Seamus McGuinness, ESRI & Trinity College Dublin)

The Northern Ireland Skills Barometer: 2023-2033 - Mr. Mark Magill, Ulster University

Brain Drain & Student Mobility in Northern Ireland - Dr. Áine Doran, Ulster University (joint paper with Dr. Anne Devlin, ESRI & Ms. Maureen O'Reilly, Independent Economist)

Please find the recording of the Skills Session.

Activity, Hours & Labour Supply - Session 2B

Economic Inactivity on the Island of Ireland - Dr. Anne Devlin, ESRI

Labour Supply & Working Hours: How Female Participation, Migration, & Tourism Shape European Work Patterns - Mr. Albian Krasniqi, TU Dublin (joint paper with Dr. Rory O’Farrell, TU Dublin)

Declining average hours worked in Ireland - Mr. Enda Keenan, Central Bank of Ireland 

Pensions - Session 2C

The Impact of ‘Grey Power’ on Public Pension Generosity in OECD Countries: Evidence from the PMG-ARDL Model - Mr. Tiago McCarthy, UCC

The Flawed Old Age Dependence Ratio should be Replaced by a Dashboard of Indicators Based on Employment Dependency Ratio to Better Inform Policymakers Concerned About Population Ageing & Future Costs - Dr. Nat O’Connor, UCD

Afternoon Panel Discussion - From Theory to Practice: Skills Policy on the Island of Ireland - Ms. Kathleen O'Hare, Chair of the Northern Ireland Skills Council & Dr. Kevin Marshall, Microsoft & Chair of the Skils Council

Please find the recording of the Afternoon Plenary.

Children, young people & the labour market - Sessin 3A

Child poverty on the island of Ireland - Professor Helen Russell & Ms. Eva Slevin, ESRI (joint paper with Ms. Anousheh Alamir & Mr. Bertrand Maître, ESRI)

The Labour Market Impact of COVID-19 on Young People with Disabilities: The Case of Ireland - Ms Delia Agostinelli, ESRI (joint paper with Mr. Bertrand Maître & Dr. Elish Kelly, ESRI)

Please find the recording of the Children, young people & the labour market session.

Enterprise Trends - Session 3B

Company restructuring approaches in the context of twin transitions - Ms. Chiara Litardi, Eurofound & UCD (joint paper with Ms. Garance Hingre, Eurofound)

Trends & spread of Very Small Enterprises in ROI - Mr. Niall O’Donnellan, Independent Strategy Advisor 

Public Policy - Session 3C

The Road to Public Childcare - Mr. Donal Swan, National Women’s Council of Ireland 

Overtime Expenditure in An Garda Síochána – Analysis on Expenditure Trends & Drivers - Ms. Emily O’Donovan, IGEES, Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform

AI, Platforms & Labour Regulation - Session 4A

Comparative study between the Irish and London taxi industries, & explores how taxi & informal platform drivers, experience algorithmic management - Mr. Eamonn Sullivan, Maynooth University

Platform Working - A Social Justice Issue - Ms. Susanne Rogers, Social Justice Ireland

Social partners together towards a better & effective regulation of Artificial Intelligence for a just transition to the work of the future – TransFormWork 2 - Mr. Kevin P. O’Kelly, TransFormWork 2 Project Coordinator

The Many About-Faces of Labour Law Reform in Ireland - Dr. Alan Eustace, Trinity College Dublin (joint paper with Professor Michael B. Doherty, Maynooth University)

Please find the recording of the AI, Platform & Labour Regulations session.

Gender & the Labour Market - Session 4B

The Evolution of Child Penalties in the UK Labour Market - Mr. Alfie Bingham, Queen’s University Belfast (Joint paper with Dr. Heather Dickey & Dr. Corina Miller, Queen's University Belfast)

Advancing Gender Pay Equality: Further Experiences in Pay Transparency & Work of Equal Value - Ms. Marianna Baggio, Eurofound

Gender & the Labour Market - Session 4C

Maternal social origin & the Intergenerational Transmission of Advantage - Dr. Michael Vallely, ESRI (joint paper with Seraphim Dempsey, ESRI)

From Pensions to Pupils? Schooling, Resource Constraints & Old Age Pensions in Ireland 1901-1911 - Mr. Tiarnán Heaney, Queen’s University Belfast

Taxation, Intergenerational Fairness & Inheritance Taxes - Dr. Tom McDonnell, NERI (joint paper with Dr. Micheál Collins, UCD)