News

The monthly unemployment rate in July was 6.5%, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. When those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are included, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate was 13.5%. This compares to a Covid-adjusted rate of 16.2% and a traditional unemployment rate of 6.7% in June. 28.6% of those unemployed under […]

€30.6 billion was spent on social welfare payments last year, an increase of 46% compared to 2019 – according to new figures from the Department of Social Protection. A new report published today sets out data relating to the expenditure, recipients and beneficiaries of the schemes administered by the department, including the schemes introduced as […]

There was a substantial increase in construction activity once again in July, according to the latest Construction Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) from Ulster Bank. While the index which tracks changes in total construction activity dropped from 65 in June to 62.8 in July, it still suggests a substantial increase in activity last month. Index readings […]

74% of employees who hold shares through their employer have not declared the tax they owe, according to a new survey by Taxback.com. The survey asked over 1,500 people from the Taxback.com database whether or not they have received shares in the past or present from their employer – of those who had, just 26% […]

Most companies on both sides of the border are firmly in recovery mode as Covid-19 restrictions ease, according to InterTradeIreland’s latest quarterly business monitor. Three quarters of all businesses are now operational, indicating a return to economic momentum, while over half of SMEs in the tourism and leisure sectors have re-opened their doors. Growth is […]

Financial and health imperative will be to invest in vaccinating the entire world The northern hemisphere is sweating through a second long summer of Covid-19. As the Delta variant gains ground in the US, Europe and even China, the contours of the global economic challenge are now clear. Libertarians and statists should lay down their […]

The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will meet today when it is expected to discuss updates to hospitality industry guidelines on outdoor events. It follows questions raised over an event hosted by former minister Katherine Zappone in a Dublin hotel last month and subsequent advice from the Attorney General. Fáilte Ireland is the State agency charged […]

Irish food and drink businesses are experiencing inflationary pressures across most cost headings, according to Food Drink Ireland (FDI) the Ibec group representing the food and drink sector. FDI surveyed member companies in July to assess the extent and impact of input cost increases. It found that these increases were due to a combination of […]

Inflationary pressures evident in latest purchasing managers’ index data from AIB Irish service sector companies reported the strongest month-on-month growth in business activity in July since August 2000 as lockdown restrictions eased further and the Health Service Executive’s vaccination programme accelerated. The latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey data, published by AIB, shows new services […]

A group representing workers in the nightlife sector has criticised the Government’s response to its reopening, warning that a continued shutdown will result in an upsurge of unregulated events. In a letter to the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Arts, the ‘Give Us the Night’ campaign said its industry is the only remaining one without […]