Manufacturing activity contracts slightly in November – PMI
The country’s manufacturing sector saw a slight downturn in November, with a survey today showing a contraction in activity as new orders weakened. The latest AIB Ireland Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.9 from 51.5 in October. A PMI reading above 50 indicates growth, while below that level signals a contraction. This marks the third time […]
ECB’s Lane says bank should focus on future risks for policy decisions, FT reports
The European Central Bank should make future monetary policy decisions based on upcoming risk rather than the latest economic data, ECB chief economist Philip Lane told the Financial Times in an interview published today. “Once the disinflation process (is) completed, then I think monetary policy needs to be essentially forward-looking, and to be scanning the […]
Euro zone inflation edges up, ‘underlying’ price growth steady
Euro zone inflation accelerated in November and its most closely watched components remained high, data showed today, adding to the case for a more cautious European Central Bank interest rate cut next month. Consumer price inflation in the 20 countries sharing the euro stood at 2.3% in November, according to the data from Eurostat. That […]
Monthly retail sales dip by 0.1% in October – CSO
New Central Statistics Office figures published today show that retail sales fell by 0.1% on a monthly basis in October to stand 0.9% higher than a year earlier. The CSO said that excluding car sales, the monthly volume of retail sales was down by 0.2% in October and rose by 0.9% in the year when […]
AI accountability lab launched at Trinity College Dublin
A new research group designed to advance accountability in artificial intelligence (AI) has been launched at Trinity College Dublin. The AI Accountability Lab will examine the broader impacts of AI and hold powerful entities accountable for technological harms. The team behind the lab said that AI technologies have been shown to encode and exacerbate existing […]
Inflation increases to 0.5% in November – flash estimate
Consumer prices rose by 0.5% in the year to November compared to 0.1% in October – the highest level in three months – a flash estimate of the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) from the Central Statistics Office shows today. Recent sharp falls had put inflation among the lowest in the euro zone last […]
Oil traders focus on weekend OPEC+ meeting
Slowing fuel demand growth in top consumers China and the US has weighed heavily on oil prices this year, although supply cuts from OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with Russia and other allies, have limited the losses. OPEC+, which pumps about half the world’s oil, will meet on Sunday. Two […]
Cost competitiveness a top issue for US companies here
Cost competitiveness is the the top issue for American companies looking to expand in Ireland, new data shows. The latest survey of American Chamber members shows that 32% cited it as their top worry, up from 19% in the previous survey back in July. Housing also continues to be a big issue, with 30% of […]
NTMA to issue €6-10 billion worth of bonds next year
The National Treasury Management Agency said today it plans to issue €6 billion to €10 billion of bonds over the course of 2025 – the same range it set out for 2024. The NTMA ended up raising €6 billion this year due to the Government running a big budget surplus. The Department of Finance expects […]
November consumer sentiment steady but subdued
Irish consumer sentiment was “steady but subdued” in November. The latest Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Index, in partnership with Core Research, shows an index reading of 74.1 for November, identical to that in October. Only once previously in the near 29-year history of the sentiment survey has the index been completely unchanged between one month […]
Surge of cash-in-hand pay in hospitality sector
There has been a rise in the use of cash-in-hand payments for staff in the hotel and catering sector, according to new research. Excel Recruitment’s 2025 Salary Guide for the hospitality sector has found that as businesses struggle to balance budgets, some have started paying cash to workers. “With some establishments turning to cash-in-hand payments, […]
US Fed sees interest rates coming down ‘gradually’ – minutes
US Federal Reserve officials expect inflation to keep cooling, signaling a gradual approach to interest rate cuts if price increases ease further and the job market remains strong, minutes of their recent meeting showed last night. If data came in about as expected with inflation moving towards policymakers’ 2% target, while employment remained solid, “it […]
€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. […]