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Payments to businesses of €9.5m approved under TBESS so far
€9.5m has been approved for payment so far under the Government’s €1.3 billion Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS). The scheme was announced as part of Budget 2023 to help businesses cope with the recent rises in energy costs. It provides qualifying businesses with up to 40% of the increase in electricity or gas bills…
Read MoreUnemployment rate drops slightly in December to 4.3% – CSO
The unemployment rate declined marginally in December to 4.3% from 4.4% in November, according to the Central Statistics Office. This compares to a rate of 5.1% in December 2021. It’s also lower than the 4.8% recorded in December 2019, before the pandemic. The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 114,500 in December last year,…
Read MoreIrish food and drink exports reach record high of €16.7 billion
The value of Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture exports increased by 22% last year to reach a new record high of €16.7 billion. Bord Bia’s Export Performance and Prospects report shows the significant increase in food and drink exports, up €3 billion since last year and almost 30% on pre-pandemic levels, can be attributed to…
Read MoreNew Irish mortgage rates 3rd lowest in euro area
Interest rates on new mortgages remained unchanged in November, according to the latest figures from the Central Bank. The weighted average rate on new mortgages was 2.57%. This is down 14 basis points, or 0.14% compared to November 2021. The average for new fixed rate mortgages, which now comprise 93% of all new mortgages, was…
Read MoreGrocery sales hit a record-breaking €1.3 billion as inflation bites
New figures from Kantar show that grocery inflation here now stands at a record high of 15.4% for the 12-week period ending December 25, 2022. Kantar said this is higher than UK grocery price inflation which currently stands at 14.2%. Today’s figures show that take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 10% in the four…
Read MoreEU reaches agreement with UK on access to IT system
The EU and UK have reached an agreement on EU access to UK IT systems governing the movement of goods from Britain to Northern Ireland in what is seen as a significant development in the ongoing talks over the Northern Ireland Protocol. The agreement was announced following a meeting between the British foreign secretary James…
Read MoreEmployment at Enterprise Ireland backed firms rose 5% last year
The number of people employed at firms backed by Enterprise Ireland (EI) rose 5% last year to 218,178, despite the difficult trading environment. It said 10,841 net new roles were created over the 12 months, down slightly on the record 11,911 jobs added a year previously. In total, 19,660 positions were generated by companies supported…
Read MoreRemote and hybrid job posts up 43%
Irish job posts offering remote and hybrid work have increased by 43% over the last 12 months according to a new study. The report has been published by Zoom in collaboration with FRS Recruitment. A snapshot of hybrid and remote work opportunities advertised between October 2021 and October 2022 shows that 33% of all job…
Read MoreRetail sales volumes slow down in November – CSO
Retail sales volumes in November declined from the previous month as increases in sales of clothing and electrical goods failed to offset sharp falls in the bar and car sales. New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that retail sales fell by 1.4% in November when compared with October on a seasonally adjusted basis.…
Read MoreEuro zone inflation falls sharply in December but offers ECB little respite
Euro zone inflation fell by more than expected last month but underlying price pressures rose, making it likely the European Central Bank will continue raising interest rates for months to come. Consumer price growth in the bloc that expanded to 20 nations when Croatia joined on 1 January, slowed to 9.2% in December from 10.1%…
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