Business News

There was a 14.4% increase in professional job openings in the second quarter of the year compared to the previous quarter, according to new data. The latest Quarterly Employment Monitor from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley shows that the surge in vacancies was primarily observed during April and May, with a slight downturn in June. The…

The economy as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.2% between April and June when compared to the previous three months. That is according to an early estimate from the Central Statistics Office, which shows that this growth was mainly driven by the multinational dominated industry sector. When compared to the same quarter…

Nearly 80% of foreign direct investment decision-makers are planning to establish or expand operations in Ireland over the next year. That is according to the latest EY Attractiveness Survey, and marks a significant improvement on the result from 2023. In last year’s survey just 53% of FDI decision-makers said they were planning an investment in…

The number of mortgage drawdowns by first time buyers reached the highest level since 2007 between April and June, new data shows. The latest figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show an overall moderation in mortgage activity. A total of 10,110 new mortgages to the value of over €2.85 billion were drawn down by…

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), part of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has announced the completion of four investment commitments totalling €229m aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes in Ireland. The new homes will be delivered for a mix of owner-occupiers, renters, students and people who need social housing. The four…

Market expectations for the path of future interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank are “rather reasonable,” ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said in an interview on French radio BFM Business today. The ECB kept interest rates unchanged yesterday, as expected, but said September’s meeting was “wide open”. “Market expectations for the path…

The number of job vacancies remained unchanged in the second quarter of 2024, the first time in two years there was no quarterly decline in vacancies. Hiring platform IrishJobs has today published its Jobs Index for the last three months which it said showed signs of a positive trajectory in the jobs market amid steadier…

Airports and airlines across Europe are experiencing technical issues as media companies, banks and telecom firms around the world also reported that system outages were disrupting their operations. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, is also being affected by a cyber outage, a spokesperson confirmed. “The outage has an impact on flights flying…

The domestic tourism market grew strongly in 2023 with over 14.3 million trips taken by Irish holidaymakers which generated €3.1 billion for the economy. New figures from Fáilte Ireland show over one million extra domestic holidays were taken by Irish people in 2023, an annual increase of 8%. Related expenditure was also up by 6.5%…

European Central Bank officials are sticking to plans to cut interest rates multiple times this year, even as higher US inflation delays a pivot to looser policy by the US Federal Reserve and tensions in the Middle East keep oil prices high. Investors are rethinking what they expected to be a global easing cycle after…