Uncategorized

New research from the Central Statistics Office show that the proportion of people who rate their overall life satisfaction as “high” has increased from 24.4% in 2022 to 28.9% in 2023. A greater proportion of men (32.1%) reported high levels of overall life satisfaction when compared with women (25.9%), the CSO noted. People aged 65…

The Governor of the Central Bank has said it would be going a bit far to say an ECB interest rate cut next month is in the bag. However, Gabriel Makhlouf also said the evidence would need to be “pretty overwhelming” to consider a 50-basis-point cut at the meeting on 12 December. The Central Bank…

Consumers spent a total of €1.16 billion in grocery stores in the four weeks to 3 November, making it the biggest sales month of the year so far. New figures from Kantar show that grocery sales jumped 6.4%, boosted by Halloween treats and early Christmas purchases. Grocery inflation stood at 3.3%, down on the same…

A group of trade unions will today launch its General Election pledge calling on the next government to respect workers’ rights. The ‘Respect at Work’ campaign is backed by SIPTU, the Financial Services Union (FSU), the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) and Mandate. The campaign said it is approaching parties and candidates from across the political…

The latest AA Ireland Fuel Survey reveals a slight increase in petrol and diesel prices for November after three months of fuel price decreases in a row. AA Ireland said that petrol prices have risen by two cents to an average of €1.73 a litre, while diesel prices have increased by a cent to €1.67…

Skills shortages – and the cost of recruiting skilled labour – is the most common concern among tradespeople, according to a new survey. It was cited by 29% of respondents to the Onlinetradesman.com survey – which included builders, plumbers, electricians and landscapers – as their biggest obstacle to their operations and growth. “The issue is…

Wind generation in Ireland was the third highest on record for the month of October, according to new figures from Wind Energy Ireland. The latest figures show that wind energy provided 35% of Ireland’s electricity last month, while solar power and other renewables accounted for 4%. It means that Irish wind farms have generated nearly…

Dublin has dropped from 13th to 17th position out of 30 European cities ranked for investment and development potential for 2025. London, Madrid and Paris took the top spots, according to a report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute. When it comes to investing in Ireland, interviewees referenced certain infrastructure deficits and the complexity…

The Irish construction industry is running at around three quarters of its capacity on average at present, despite the strong demand for new housing and infrastructure. That’s according to the latest Construction Market Overview from building services firm Turner & Townsend, covering the period from July to September. Overall 78% of respondents said the construction…

The Government has said it expects to meet a deadline today to transpose an EU directive on workers’ rights. Unions however have accused the State of not fully implementing the rules by failing to pass new legislation. The EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages seeks to reduce working poverty and inequality by improving statutory minimum…