Employment

The two links below will enable you to search for current job vacancies on this site for either:

• Vacancies information about all current vacancies relating to the Isle of Man Government and an Application Form for same, or
• The DTI Job Centre for public and private sector vacancies on the Isle of Man.

The 2006 census recorded that the Isle of Man's economically active population was 41,793 having grown from 39,685 at the time of the 2001 census.

The Island's changing economic structure has led to an overall reduction in unemployment beginning in the latter half of the 1980s and has served to remove most of the seasonal element from the figures. Current unemployment (August 2007) at 1.5 % of the economically active population is well below the United Kingdom's national average.

Among the sectors providing major employment are financial services, manufacturing, construction, distribution and professional and scientific services, whilst the Island's public sector and civil servant workforce is in the region of 9,950 and at about 24% of the economically active population. The Isle of Man Civil Service Vacancies are listed on their web site.

To create further capacity for economic growth the Government continues to consider measures which will increase the size and productivity of the workforce from amongst the existing population. The Department of Trade and Industry provides opportunities for training and retraining by direct support at its training centre and by financial support to employers providing on the job training. The Island's Job Centre is active in its efforts to assist persons to obtain employment and employers to obtain suitable employees.

The changing nature of the employment market has led the Government to place increased emphasis on the better use of available labour, preferring investment in high value added enterprise by new and existing firms to projects involving new labour intensive employment. It is recognised by the work permit authorities that new companies establishing themselves in the Island may need to bring key personnel with them.

The Isle of Man has a tradition of good industrial relations, strikes and other disruptions being rare in comparison with the United Kingdom. A number of United Kingdom based trade unions have branches on the Island but they operate within an entirely separate framework of employment legislation. An independent Manx Industrial Relations Service, with a full-time Industrial Relations Officer, is available to handle enquiries from both employers and employees. There is also a local Employment Tribunal with a range of functions under the Island's employment legislation.

Assisted by United Kingdom management consultants expert in the field of employment law, the Manx Government has overhauled the Island's employment legislation, replacing the previous limited requirements with a system which is simple and offers enhanced protection for workers without placing excessive burdens and restriction on employers.

The result has been the introduction of the Employment Act 2006 and the Trade Unions Act 1991. Between them these two Acts deal with such matters as unfair dismissal, registration of trade unions "cooling off periods" before industrial action, limitations on picketing and so on. The Employment Act incorporates previous requirements such as the issue of written particulars of terms and conditions of employment. Provision for redundancy payments is made under the Redundancy Payments Act 1990. In addition, the Trade Unions Amendment Act 1995 and the Employment Amendment Act 1996 have followed the earlier legislation.