Uncategorized

The Covid pandemic led to a reimagining of the concept of work. Forced to stay at home, employees and businesses quickly realised that tasks they had always performed in-person or on-site could be done remotely. Staff who sat in traffic and sat at a desk in an office building all their working lives saw that…

The Irish manufacturing sector contracted for the second month running in December, the latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from AIB concludes. The deterioration in conditions came on the back of a sharp drop in new orders, the study found. A contraction in new and outstanding work accelerated and output fell, albeit at a slower pace.…

Bank lending to euro zone companies slowed in November, easing back from the sector’s biggest borrowing binge in over a decade as rising interest rates and a looming recession appear to be taking a toll, European Central Bank data showed today. Lending to businesses in the 19-country euro area expanded by 8.4% in November after…

The annual rate of growth in prices being sought for properties nationally slowed to 6% in the final three months of 2022, a new report from property website MyHome.ie concludes. The report suggests a continuation of the trend whereby prices in Dublin are rising at a slower pace than those in the rest of the…

The European Central Bank may raise interest rates at its current pace for a “period of time” to curb inflation, Vice-President Luis de Guindos said today. “We have no choice but to act,” he said in an interview with Le Monde paper published on Thursday. “Increases of 50 basis points may become the new norm…

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Ireland can become energy independent within a generation or less and that this generation should be the one that turns the tide on climate change and biodiversity loss. Launching the Government’s updated national Climate Action Plan today, Mr Varadkar said we must prepare ourselves for the adverse effects of climate…

Hiring rates have declined from post-pandemic highs, according to IDA Ireland’s latest Labour Market Pulse. The study, which is published in partnership with Microsoft and LinkedIn, shows that hiring rates were 12.7% lower in October 2022 compared to October 2021. However, the 2022 figure is still above hiring rates in both October 2019 and 2020.…

Finance Minister Michael McGrath said that so far over 7,000 businesses have registered for the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme, which was announced in the Budget. The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) aims to assist businesses with their energy costs during the winter months. Speaking on Morning Ireland, Mr McGrath said the first payments…

An updated national Climate Action Plan outlining accelerated economy-wide measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be unveiled by the three Government leaders later this afternoon. It is expected to include new measures to reduce the number of car journeys taken, reduce on-street parking and prioritise active travel and the use of public transport. The…

Consumer sentiment improved in December to its best level for four months as cheaper fuel and an improved economic outlook brought some seasonal cheer to hard-pressed households, a survey showed today. The Credit Union Consumer Sentiment index increased to 48.7 in December from 45.3 in November, the second improvement in the past three months. The…