Posts by splash

Ireland’s exports and imports fell in February, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. Goods exports in the month were worth €15.9 billion on an unadjusted basis, down more than €700m from the same time last year. Imports amounted to €10 billion, down more than €1.1 billion. Today’s CSO figures show that…

The Governor of the Central Bank has said he expects that “all things equal” the European Central Bank will cut interest rates in June. However, Gabriel Makhlouf said he remains open-minded about the path which interest rates might take after that. “I think we’re pretty close to it now,” the Governor told CNBC in an…

Euro zone inflation is heading to the European Central Bank’s 2% target next year after a “bumpy” road that will see it hover near current levels for now, the ECB’s chief economist Philip Lane said today. “Even if the near-term inflation outlook is somewhat bumpy, the projected convergence of inflation to the target in 2025…

There was a “significant” drop in job openings in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest Quarterly Employment Monitor from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley. The research showed a 13.8% decrease in job openings compared with the previous quarter and a year-on-year decline of 29.6%. The first quarter of the year saw a…

The Governor of the Central Bank has called for continued global coordination that will lead to progress in dealing with systemic risks arising from the non-bank sector. Gabriel Makhlouf said the existing regulatory framework provides a good starting point to deal with the issues, but has not been designed for this purpose. Speaking in Washington…

In an era where economies are increasingly interconnected, global economic trends hold significant sway over the financial landscapes of small businesses. From fluctuations in exchange rates to shifts in global demand and supply chains, the ripple effects of these trends can profoundly influence the operational and financial stability of small enterprises. This article from KAAS…

Construction activity rose in March for the first month since June of last year and at the most marked rate for nearly two years, new data shows. The BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland Construction Index hit 51.6, just above the 50 mark that signals no change. The growth was propelled by renewed expansion in both…

Business group Ibec has said the Irish economy is still performing robustly, despite rising inflation and higher interest rates. In its first Quarterly Economic Outlook for the year, Ibec is forecasting growth in GDP of 2% this year and 3.4% in 2025. The report forecasts higher growth in exports, investment and it said the overall…

The European Central Bank could cut interest rates more than three times this year and the reductions should not be held back if the US Federal Reserve delays its own cuts, Lithuanian policymaker Gediminas Simkus said today. Simkus, making some of the most dovish comments since the ECB’s policy meeting on Thursday, also said the…

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that households saved 12.09% of their income in the last quarter of 2023 – and 12.4% in 2023 as a whole. The CSO noted that the saving rate has averaged over 12% in the last two years, above the long-term pre-Covid average. The saving rate has declined…