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There has been a surge in car and home improvement loans in the first quarter of 2023 as personal lending hit €481m, according to the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland Personal Loan Report. Overall, the report shows a considerable jump in personal loans activity on the same time last year. The value of personal loan…

The downturn in euro zone business activity worsened more than initially thought in July as the slump in manufacturing was accompanied by a further slowing of growth in the bloc’s dominant services industry, a survey showed. HCOB’s final Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of…

The labour market remains a positive backdrop for job seekers with postings on job site, Indeed, 30% higher than before the pandemic. The rate of unemployment in July was 4.1% according to the CSO. Economists consider an unemployment rate of 4% cent or less as tantamount to full employment. Senior economist with Indeed, Jack Kennedy…

Almost €6.57 billion in tax was received by the Exchequer in July, up €303m (4.6%) on the same month of last year. Figures from the Department of Finance show Corporation Tax take continuing to surge, with €333m taken in the month. That is €101m – or 43.3% – more than in July 2022. Income tax…

New Central Statistics Office show that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July eased to 4.1%, down from a revised rate of 4.2% recorded in June. The CSO said it had revised upwards the jobless rate for each month of 2023, meaning the rate did not hit a record low as previously estimated. Previous estimates…

Service sector growth remained robust in July amid a strengthening in business sentiment and a slight easing in still high input and output cost pressures, a survey showed today. The AIB S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for services was almost unchanged at 56.7 compared to 56.8 in June. The index has stayed above the…

Business conditions in the manufacturing sector continued to deteriorate in July, new figures show. The latest Purchasing Managers Index from AIB reveals the sharpest decline in new orders so far this year. The index dropped slightly to 47, from 47.3 in June and 47.5 in May. Readings above 50 indicate overall growth in activity. The…

Manufacturing activity across the euro zone contracted in July at the fastest pace since Covid-19 was cementing its grip on the world as demand slumped despite factories cutting their prices sharply, a survey showed today. There was considerable weakness seen in Germany, Europe’s largest economy. France and Italy, the second and third-largest euro zone economies,…

The Irish economy is nearing the peak of the current economic cycle and is on course to enter a period of more moderate growth, Ibec forecasts in its latest economic outlook. The business group points out that while the pipeline of investment and demand remains strong, the economy is on track to experience a natural…

Consumer prices in the euro zone grew by 5.3% this month from 5.5% in June, extending a downtrend that started in the autumn. Excluding energy and unprocessed food, prices increased by 6.6% after a 6.8% rise a month earlier. While this is still a far cry from the ECB’s 2% target, the reading may help…