€4.3m spent every hour on Black Friday last year – AIB Spend Trend
Figures from AIB show that Black Friday 2023 broke all records for online spend and indications are that this year will be no different as shoppers hunt for good value ahead of Christmas. AIB’s latest Spend Trend reveals that Irish shoppers spent €105m spent online on Black Friday last year on almost 1 million transactions, […]
Irish investors accelerating investment in energy transition, but regulatory risks remain top barrier to growth
More than eight out of ever ten Irish investors believe investment in energy transition assets is increasing rapidly, according to new research from KPMG. That compares to 72% globally the survey of 1400 senior executives from around the world, including 50 from Ireland, carried out by KPMG’s Energy Transition Investment Outlook Report found. James Delahunt, […]
Irish workers among most honest employees in the world
Irish workers are among the strictest in the world when it comes to ethically questionable practices like nepotism and fake sick days, according to a new survey. The research by the Institute of Business Ethics, in conjunction with the Compliance Institute, found that workers in Ireland were less likely than the global average to find […]
Costs are top election issues for businesses – Ibec study
The cost of doing business is the top election issue exercising the minds of senior business leaders, new research by Ibec has found. 25% said it was the most pressing challenge that they want to see in the general election campaign. Housing was the next most important concern, cited by 22% of respondents. The provision […]
Value of mortgages lent by ILCU credit unions up 51% in the last year
The total value of mortgages lent by credit unions affiliated to the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) has risen 51% in the past year. Publishing its annual results for the financial year to September, the ILCU said its mortgage loan book has expanded from €371m to €560m. That means that mortgages now comprise a […]
Irish consumers plan to spend €329 around Black Friday
Irish consumers plan to spend €329 each over the period of the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. That is higher than the planned spending by all other European countries that were surveyed by PwC in its Black Friday research. A fifth of consumers here said they would spend at least €500 or more. […]
Most consumers don’t trust Black Friday deals
Most consumers do not trust Black Friday deals, new research shows. The report published by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) reveals that just 30% of consumers believe that the discounts displayed by businesses are genuine. The findings are being released ahead of Black Friday which takes place this day next week, 29 November, […]
Home commencements up 62% in October – Dept of Housing
Work started on 4,249 homes last month which represents an increase of 62% on October 2023, according to official figures from the Department of Housing. Dermot O’Leary, chief economist with Goodbody Stockbrokers, said the “figures look strong” compared to average monthly commencement data. Builders have been encouraged to start work on housing this year because […]
High costs and lack of skills impacting business growth plans
High costs and a lack of skilled workers are impacting the growth plans of many companies, new research shows. The latest All-Island Business Monitor by InterTradeIreland, which compiles the views of businesses across Ireland and Northern Ireland, paints a broadly positive picture. Almost 40% of businesses said they are growing, while over half are stable. […]
Employment rate hits new record high in third quarter
The rate of employment in the country has increased once again, hitting a new record high, according to the latest Central Statistics Office figures. The Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of the year shows that the estimated employment rate for people aged 15-64 years was 75.3% – the highest rate recorded since the […]
Residential property prices up by 10% in September – CSO
Property prices are continuing to accelerate and are up 10% in the 12 months to September, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. The latest figures show that prices rose by 10.8% in Dublin and 9.4% outside the capital. The median cost of buying a home nationally was €346,000. The lowest prices […]
Last year’s tax take jumps by 50% compared to 2020 – CSO
Total tax revenue last year was 50% higher than it was in 2020, new data from the Central Statistics Office shows. €116 billion in taxes and social contributions were collected by the State in 2023, the CSO said, an increase of 5% on a year earlier. The growth was in large part propelled by corporation […]
‘High’ life satisfaction rate rises from 24% in 2022 to 29% last year – CSO
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 […]
Health insurance prices increased by 11% this year
The Health Insurance Authority is urging consumers to review their policy and shop around to ensure they are not overpaying while securing the right coverage for their needs as the health insurance renewals period nears. The HIA said that private health insurance now costs €1,712 on average with price increases of 11% so far this […]
Average home rebuilding costs climb 6.2% in the last year
The national average cost of rebuilding a home has risen by 6.2% in the last year. That is lower than the 12% increase recorded last year and the 21% seen in 2022. But the new research by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) found that the rate of growth in rebuild costs over the […]
Unions call on next government to respect workers’ rights
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 […]
Interest rate cut next month not yet certain – Makhlouf
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 […]
Halloween treats boost grocery sales by over 6%
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 […]