Finance

The finance sector shows 66% male participation compared to 34% female participation. There has been a significant increase in the number of females operating in the finance sector up 11% from the last year. This has been the highest percentage of females reported since this research began.

In 2026, the age profile of contractors shifted younger compared with 2025. The average age remained almost similar, with a slight drop from 49 years in 2025 to 48 years in 2026.The percentage share of those aged 30–39 almost doubled from 11% to 20%, indicating stronger mid-career entry into contracting roles from the previous year. At the same time, the core 40–49 age group declined from 37% to 31%, while the 50–59 cohort also decreased from 30% to 26%. Participation among those aged 60 and over increased slightly, from 18% to 20%. Representation of contractors under 30 fell from 4% to 2%, indicating that early-career entry to contracting in the finance sector remains uncommon.

The average daily rate declined significantly from €683 to €604. This may be attributed to the increased participation of mid-career professionals in the sector, drawing the mean rates downwards.

86% of finance sector respondents in 2026 hold at least a Bachelor’s degree qualification or have done other professional courses.

The educational distribution of contractors remains broadly consistent with last years, showing strong demand for qualified and well-educated contractors.

89% of finance contractors work in the private sector.

The average contract duration in this sector stands at 14 months. Contracts with durations of 4–6 months increased markedly to 38%, compared with 26% in 2025, indicating a notable shift toward mid-term engagements. In contrast, very short assignments of 1–3 months declined sharply from 12% to 4%. Contracts within the 7–12 month category accounted for 35% of engagements in 2026, representing a slight decline from 38% in 2025. Meanwhile, 23% of contracts extend to 13 months or longer, broadly consistent with the distribution observed in 2025. The proportion of long-term contracts exceeding 24 months remained fairly consistent with the last year.

Finance contractors continue to feel positive about their lives but express less satisfaction with their career opportunities and working conditions compared to 2025.

Career success satisfaction fell from 89% to 84%, and satisfaction with progress made towards career-goals declined slightly from 84% to 81%.

Satisfaction with rate of pay decreased from 88% in 2025 to 83% in 2026. A similar pattern appears across job conditions. Satisfaction with location of job fell from 86% to 82%, and flexibility of hours declined from 89% to 83%. Remote working options satisfaction dropped from 90% to 83%. Work–life balance satisfaction dipped marginally, from 80% to 78%. Satisfaction with life in general increased from 80% in 2025 to 83% in 2026. Overall, a slight decrease across most satisfaction measures can be seen compared to 2025.

Most finance contractors feel they are developing transferable skills, with 88% agreeing their knowledge will be useful for future roles. However, only 70% feel they are learning a great deal on their current project. This gap suggests learning is occurring, but not always on the current role.

Responsibility for development clearly sits with the individual. 90% manage their own skill development, while just 22% receive training or development support from client organisations. Nearly half actively disagree that clients provide development support. Autonomy remains a strong positive. 87% report sufficient independence in completing assignments.

The share of finance contractors expecting greater availability of contract work over the next 12 months dropped from 38% in 2025 to 26% in 2026, with most now expecting no change. Expectations for daily rate increases held steady at 34% in both years, although more contractors in 2026 anticipate rates remaining unchanged rather than increasing.

Contractors in the finance sector continue to view the contracting sector positively in 2026, though expectations are more restrained than in 2025. For 2026, 78% believe the sector will stay the same or grow over the next three to five years, compared with 87% believing this in 2025. The proportion expecting growth fell from 51% to 46%, while those expecting a decline increased from 13% to 22%, showing a shift towards caution. Views on the Irish economy show a similar pattern. For 2026, 39% expect the economy to perform better than in 2025, down from 43% the year before, while the share expecting worse performance increased from 13% to 26%. This indicates rising concern about broader economic conditions. This may be due to the rising uncertainty in the markets due to geopolitical tensions and abrupt global policy changes.