Growth in the country’s service sector picked up strongly in February, as the recovery from the pandemic gained momentum following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. The AIB Services PMI rose sharply to 61.8 from 56.2 in January and 55.4 in December. Readings above 50 indicate overall rises in activity. The latest reading signalled the fastest…
Tag Archives: lockdown
Women, younger people and the lower paid are strongly in favour of more flexible working arrangements according to a poll carried out on behalf of the Labour Party. In a survey carried out by Ireland Thinks, 71% of respondents agreed that employees who can work remotely should have the right to do so. Some 81%…
Government pandemic supports saved at least 4,500 Irish companies from going bust – an average of 50 companies every week, according to analysis by PwC which feature in a report ‘Act Now: From recovery to growth’. The author of the report said that while the businesses avoided insolvency, they will need further support to repair…
New figures show that spending in pubs and bars more than tripled on the day Covid-19 restrictions on socialising were eased. The latest Revolut Spending Report shows that the amount of money spent in bars was 212% higher on January 22 than it had been the day before, when the 8pm curfew was still in…
New guidance for workplaces has been published to reflect the recent relaxation of most public health measures. The Transitional Protocol eases many requirements on businesses but says good practices should be maintained. It is ten days since the Government announced the relaxation of most public health measures, and following engagement with business and unions it…
Consumer sentiment in January recovered much of the loss it suffered in December in the face of a surge in the highly contagious Omicron variant, a survey showed today, with a further improvement expected next month. The KBC Bank Ireland consumer sentiment index climbed to 81.9 in January from 74.9 in December, falling short of…
The Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme for small and medium businesses has been extended the end of June, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said today. Low-cost loans will continue to be available to Irish SMEs through a wide range of lenders including three banks, six non-bank finance providers and 19…
Irish consumer confidence dropped again in December, as concerns around Covid-19 and the cost of living intensified. The KBC Bank consumer sentiment index dropped to 74.9 from 83.1 in November – its weakest reading since February, indicating a clear deterioration in the mood of Irish consumers. December saw the third largest monthly fall since the…
Almost half of restaurant and takeaway owners have adopted new technologies since the start of the pandemic, according to new research by Irish food ordering software developer Flipdish. 44% of those businesses invested over €1,500 to do so. The most popular technology adaptations were website ordering and QR code table ordering technology. The research reveals…
The cost that comes with living in Ireland is experiencing an increase. The amount of houses available to buy does not satisfy the demand for it, electricity demand has increased over the years due to the need for technology and is putting strain on electricity output. This increase in demand is causing a rise in…