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Retail bounced back in June as shoppers rushed out after lockdown

Customers rushing back into shops as the lockdown eased in June lifted the value of retail sales back to pre-Covid 19 levels. Retail sales rose by a record 38.4pc in June compared to May, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). More strikingly, on an annual basis retail volumes were 3.5pc higher in June 2020, […]

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Irish companies show impressive flexibility with diversification to Europe

One of the challenges we face in growing our economy is the limited size of our domestic market. Ireland’s entry into the then EEC in 1973, and subsequent adoption of the euro in 2002, opened the door to a large and developed marketplace. As the EU has progressed and expanded the four freedoms – goods, […]

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Minister signals that couples with combined income of more than €75k will be eligible for affordable homes scheme

HOUSING Minister Darragh O’Brien has signalled that couples who have a gross combined income of more than €75,000 will be eligible for a new affordable homes scheme. He also told the Dáil that he intends the guide price for such housing to be between €160,000 and €260,000 as he clashed with Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó […]

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Savings levels hit highest level since last economic crash

HOUSEHOLD savings have hit their highest level since the last financial crisis. People spent less in the first three months of the year which meant that they put more money aside. The savings level was higher than any time in the last six years, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said. “Household saving increased in the […]

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Consumer index stalling but firms’ confidence comes back, study says

Consumer sentiment continues to lag behind business confidence, fresh data from Bank of Ireland suggests. Bank of Ireland’s regular ‘Economic Pulse’ combines business and consumer elements to track sentiment in the economy month to month. The index was up 5.5 on last month but down 21.0 compared with a year ago. Business confidence has risen […]

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More flexible hours should become part of new normal says report

HUGE changes to the working lives of millions of people as a result of the Covid-19 crisis show how a more innovative approach to work could benefit industry, according to a new report. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said the UK was nearing a “pivotal moment”, when new working practices could be adopted […]

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Amazon to create 1,000 jobs in Ireland

Online retail giant Amazon is to create 1,000 permanent jobs in Ireland over the next two years. This will bring the company’s total workforce here to 5,000 people. The positions will be based across Amazon’s Cork and Dublin sites in Blanchardstown, Tallaght, the city centre, and north County Dublin. The roles being created will range […]

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Why the Covid-19 crisis may push up house prices

The publication of the Central Statistics Office’s estimates of last year’s economic growth is normally newsworthy. But when figures appeared indicating that our gross domestic product had grown by about a quarter in 2015, it generated huge headlines, not just in Ireland but across the world. Of course, while the Irish economy performed well in […]

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Euro zone businesses bounce back in July as lockdowns loosen

Euro zone business activity grew in July for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit, as more parts of the economy that were locked down to curtail its spread reopened and people emerged from their homes to work and spend money. Across the world almost 15.5 million people have been infected by the coronavirus […]

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Government launches €7.4bn Jobs Stimulus to help businesses re-open, get people back to work and promote confidence

The Government has today announced the July Jobs Stimulus, a €7.4bn package of measures designed to stimulate a jobs-led recovery and build economic confidence while continuing to manage the impact of Covid-19. Launching the Jobs Stimulus, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD said: The stimulus package announced today will protect existing jobs while creating new and […]

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