News

Average interest rate on new mortgages here now above 4%

The average interest rate on new mortgage arrangements in Ireland has breached the 4% mark. Figures from the Central Bank show that the average interest rate on new mortgages rose from 3.84% in May to 4.04% in June. The increase of 0.2 percentage points was the second biggest jump in average rates in the euro […]

Continue Reading

Euro zone bond yields drop as risk sentiment worsens, inflation fears ease

Euro zone bond yields dropped today as a European Central Bank (ECB) survey showed consumers expect inflation to keep slowing, while risk sentiment worsened on sticky inflation in Germany, weak China trade data and pressure on Italian banks. The ECB’s monthly Consumer Expectations Survey showed the median respondent in the June edition expected inflation to […]

Continue Reading

Retail spend in capital rose again in second quarter

Retail spending in Dublin rose again between April and June, the ninth consecutive quarterly increase. Spend was up 1.1% on the previous quarter and 4.7% on the same period a year earlier, according to the latest MasterCard SpendingPulse, produced in conjunction with Grant Thornton and the four Dublin local authorities. However, while strong domestic demand […]

Continue Reading

Ireland had highest consumer prices in EU in 2021

Ireland had the highest price levels for consumer goods and services across the 27 countries of the European Union in 2021, a report from the Central Statistics Office has found. Prices were 43.8% above the average of the 27 countries, known as the EU27, it concluded. The latest Measuring Ireland’s Progress report covers the year […]

Continue Reading

Live Register figures edge 0.1% higher in July – CSO

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the seasonally adjusted Live Register total for July rose by 0.1%, or 200, from June to reach a total of 183,500 people. The CSO said the unadjusted Live Register total stood at 195,095 for last month. Of the 195,095 people on the unadjusted Live Register in […]

Continue Reading

Live Register figures edge 0.1% higher in July – CSO

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the seasonally adjusted Live Register total for July rose by 0.1%, or 200, from June to reach a total of 183,500 people. The CSO said the unadjusted Live Register total stood at 195,095 for last month. Of the 195,095 people on the unadjusted Live Register in […]

Continue Reading

Restaurants seek retention of 9% VAT rate

Ireland should retain the hospitality sector’s reduced VAT rate but only for food-related businesses, according to a restaurant representative group. Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins warned that many food-related businesses will cease trading if the reduced rate of 9% is reverted – as planned – to the standard 13.5% next […]

Continue Reading

Ireland tops EU poll for working from home growth

Ireland is leading the charge in terms of how rapidly remote working is taking the place of traditional office-based work, according to analysis of Eurostat data by BNP Paribas Real Estate. Netherlands has the highest percentage of its workforce engaged in remote working (over 50%), while Ireland is adopting remote working at the fastest rate […]

Continue Reading

Surge in car and home improvement loans in Q1 – BPFI

There has been a surge in car and home improvement loans in the first quarter of 2023 as personal lending hit €481m, according to the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland Personal Loan Report. Overall, the report shows a considerable jump in personal loans activity on the same time last year. The value of personal loan […]

Continue Reading

Indeed economist says it is still job seekers’ market

The labour market remains a positive backdrop for job seekers with postings on job site, Indeed, 30% higher than before the pandemic. The rate of unemployment in July was 4.1% according to the CSO. Economists consider an unemployment rate of 4% cent or less as tantamount to full employment. Senior economist with Indeed, Jack Kennedy […]

Continue Reading