Research into public relations sector shows over €1 billion contribution to Irish economy and strong female representation at senior levels

A nation-wide study carried out by Amárach Research for the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) finds the sector is contributing almost €1.2 billion to the Irish economy and has more women than men in senior roles. The study was launched on 25 July 2019.

Key Findings

It is estimated that over 2,800 are working in public relations and communications.

68% of the profession are female and there are more females than males in senior roles. However, a higher proportion of the men in the profession occupy senior roles.

Just over half work in-house in organisations: 25% in the public sector and 27% in the private sector. 38% work in agencies and 9% are self-employed.

 45% of respondents earn between €45,000 and €80,000.

Almost half reported receiving work-related calls or emails outside office hours every day. However, 66% say they have a good work-life balance and 75% plan to stay in the sector.

 Padraig McKeon, President of the PRII, says the research shows an increasing recognition of the value of effective professional communications across a range of sectors, with growth in practice areas such as public affairs, community, and internal communications. There are also increasing demands for communication specialists in finance, technology, healthcare and agri-food. “Through the study we can also see that public relations has a highly educated workforce who are committed to keeping pace with the fast-changing media and corporate environment by investing in continuous professional development. Of those surveyed, 82% have a qualification relevant to their work and over half spent time on training or upskilling in the past year,” said McKeon.

“Overall the findings are very positive,” said Dr Martina Byrne, Chief Executive, PRII, “and should encourage graduates from a range of disciplines to enter the profession. The work is varied, the range of organisations is wide, it’s well paid and there are life-long opportunities for women and men. In fact, to ensure a balanced gender mix in the future we need more male entrants to enter the profession. “Since the roll-out of rural electrification in the 1920s was overseen by the first PR professional in the country, Ned Lawler, a founder of the PRII, the public relations profession has made an important contribution to the economic, social, cultural and political life of the country."

The PRII Census 2019 Report is available on www.prii.ie

 Notes

Methodology The PRII invited its 1,013 members to take part by accessing a link to the survey in March 2019. Members were encouraged to invite their peers, including non-members, to participate. The survey link was also promoted widely through the media and to communications professional networks in the private and public sector. The survey was closed in April 2019 by which time 471 public relations and communications professionals had responded.

The Public Relations Institute of Ireland The PRII is the professional representative body for public relations and communications practitioners in Ireland. Established in 1953, the Institute is dedicated to promoting the highest professional and ethical practice of public relations. There are currently over 1,000 members of the Institute working across all sectors: in-house in private and public companies; in national and local government and in semi-state bodies; in voluntary and charitable organisations; and in agencies.