Caution urged over copper broadband switch-off
There are calls for careful planning around the switch-off of Ireland’s old copper broadband network amid warnings that many devices are still reliant on the system. Broadband network operator SIRO has conducted an analysis which shows that house and security alarms, medical and security monitors, lifts, landline and emergency phones, car park barriers and retail […]
8 out of 10 employees have used AI in the workplace – survey
Eight out of ten employees have used artificial intelligence in the workplace, according to a new survey. The FRS Recruitment Employment Insights Report shows that almost half of employees believe AI will impact or replace their job in the future, a figure which represents almost double the number who held that view when the same […]
Increased labour needed to drive construction output
An increase in labour capacity in the construction sector may be needed if the number of houses that work has begun on this year are to be delivered. That is according to Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) which says that between January and April, 30,138 units were commenced. That compares with 32,800 in the […]
Irish prices second highest in EU last year
Prices paid by Irish consumers were the second highest in the EU last year, according to new official data. Irish prices were 42% higher than the EU average, according to Eurostat, just behind the 43% recorded in Denmark. Lowest price levels were registered in Bulgaria and Romania, the price comparison survey shows. The data also […]
Ireland slips two places to fourth in world competitiveness rankings
Ireland has dropped two places from last year in a key measure of international competitiveness. The country was ranked fourth of 67 economies examined by the Institute of Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, down from second last year. However, when compared to countries in the eurozone, Ireland came out on top as the […]
Retailers urged to prepare now for online Christmas shopping – An Post
Is it too early for Irish retailers to start preparing for Christmas? Not according to An Post. It has published its first eCommerce Index which shows that 95% of adults shopped online illustrating the potential for businesses to bolster and expand their ecommerce offering. The period from October to December, is known as the peak […]
6.3 million foreign visitors came to Ireland last year – CSO
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that 6.3 million foreign visitors departed Ireland on overseas routes in 2023. Overall, the visitors spent €7.3 billion on their trips. Of this €1.9 billion was spent on fares, €0.3 billion on prepayments – including car hire, pre-booked tickets and other non-accommodation items paid for in advance […]
NAMA on track to wind down by the end of 2025
The National Asset Management Agency remains on track to wind down completely by the end of next year. But the Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has confirmed that “some residual assets will remain unresolved” after the end of 2025, and that he will be proposing a new bill to ensure the NTMA manages these assets […]
Oil prices stable as demand uncertainty persists
Oil prices were stable today, as traders awaited signs of a hoped-for summer demand boost to prop up prices even as strong supply threatens to blunt gains. Benchmark Brent crude futures were down two cents to $84.23 per barrel this afternoon after climbing in the previous session. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures which also […]
Dublin fourth most expensive city in Europe to build – survey
Dublin is the fourth most expensive city in Europe to build, a new survey shows today, while it also makes it into the top 25 most expensive places to build globally. The International Construction Market Survey 2024 Report, from global professional services company Turner & Townsend, shows that Switzerland remains the most expensive country to […]
ECB set to cut rates in September and December – poll
The European Central Bank will cut its deposit rate twice more this year, in September and December, according to a significant majority of economists polled by Reuters who said the risks were skewed towards fewer rate cuts than expected. That outlook was broadly unchanged from a survey conducted before the ECB delivered its widely telegraphed […]
ECB’s Lane confident euro zone inflation will hit 2% in 2025
The European Central Bank’s chief economist said today he remained confident inflation will fall back to the ECB’s 2% target in 2025 after four years of unusually brisk price growth following the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a Reuters NEXT Newsmaker interview, Philip Lane also played down the need for the ECB […]
IMF calls for stronger social safety net to ‘broaden’ gains from AI
Fiscal policy has a “major role to play” in broadening the financial gains from generative AI technology and preventing a spike in wealth inequality, the IMF today. Left unchecked, generative artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to amplify job losses among white collar professions, International Monetary Fund staff wrote in a new paper. The technology forms the […]
Central Bank lowers growth forecast for domestic economy
The Central Bank has reduced its forecasts for economic growth this year. In its latest Quarterly Bulletin, the bank predicts that Modified Domestic Demand will expand by 2.1% in 2024, down from its forecast in March of 2.2%. It has also cut its forecast for Gross Domestic Product to 1.8%, down from its previous projection […]
Almost 50% would refuse job offer with no remote work option – survey
Nearly half of Irish jobseekers would refuse a job offer if there were no hybrid or fully remote working options offered, according to new research from The Stepstone Group, the parent company of jobs website IrishJobs. This compares to a global average of 29%. The study found that 61% of jobseekers would turn down an […]
Services inflation needs to come down this year – ECB’s Lane
The European Central Bank needs to see momentum in services inflation come down this year in order to confirm its disinflation narrative, the ECB’s chief economist said today, adding it will not have much new information by its July meeting. “It’s fair to say momentum at the start of the year in services was relatively […]
Dublin ranked 41st most expensive city for international workers
Dublin ranks as the 41st most expensive city in the world for international employees, the 2024 Cost of Living City Ranking survey from Mercer shows, ten places higher than last year. This means that Dublin is more expensive than cities like Edinburgh, Milan, Rome and Madrid, but it is still behind major European cities like […]
Consumer behaviour shifting due to rising costs
Cost of living pressures continue to top the agenda for consumers, new data shows. The latest Future Consumer Index from EY tracks changing consumer sentiment and behaviours right across the world. 23,000 consumers were surveyed across 30 countries, including here in Ireland. It found that 62% of Irish households, and 55% of global households are […]