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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The downturn in euro zone business activity worsened more than initially thought in July as the slump in manufacturing was accompanied by a further slowing of growth in the bloc’s dominant services industry, a survey showed. HCOB’s final Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of…

New Central Statistics Office show that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July eased to 4.1%, down from a revised rate of 4.2% recorded in June. The CSO said it had revised upwards the jobless rate for each month of 2023, meaning the rate did not hit a record low as previously estimated. Previous estimates…

Almost €6.57 billion in tax was received by the Exchequer in July, up €303m (4.6%) on the same month of last year. Figures from the Department of Finance show Corporation Tax take continuing to surge, with €333m taken in the month. That is €101m – or 43.3% – more than in July 2022. Income tax…

Service sector growth remained robust in July amid a strengthening in business sentiment and a slight easing in still high input and output cost pressures, a survey showed today. The AIB S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for services was almost unchanged at 56.7 compared to 56.8 in June. The index has stayed above the…

Manufacturing activity across the euro zone contracted in July at the fastest pace since Covid-19 was cementing its grip on the world as demand slumped despite factories cutting their prices sharply, a survey showed today. There was considerable weakness seen in Germany, Europe’s largest economy. France and Italy, the second and third-largest euro zone economies,…