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The outlook for the services sector, as measured by AIB in its monthly Purchasing Managers’ Index, darkened considerably in March following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and record price inflation across the sector. The drop in sentiment last month was exceeded only twice in the survey history, in March 2020 and September 2001. However, demand…

Today marks the end of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and remaining recipients will now transition to jobseekers’ payments, if they are deemed eligible. The scheme was closed for new applications in January and last week, final payments to the remaining 44,747 claimants were processed. The PUP was first introduced as the Covid-19 pandemic struck…

Oil prices inched higher today as worries about tight supply persisted even as investors eyed the release of supplies from strategic reserves from consuming nations and a truce in Yemen sparked hopes that supply issues in the Middle East could abate. Brent crude futures were up 9 cents, or 0.09%, to $104.48 a barrel early…

One in five businesses in Ireland, the equivalent of 50,000 companies, do not have a cyber security policy in place, according to a new survey. The research from connectivity network Magnet+ shows that 50% of Irish businesses have not implemented an email security solution to prevent cyber threats and attacks. The study also reveals that…

58% of Irish respondents, who do not currently own cryptocurrency, are interested in learning more or are likely to acquire it in the next 12 months, according to a new survey. The 2022 Global State of Crypto report, released by cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, found that Irish people are the most ‘crypto-curious’ in the world followed…

Inflation continued to surge across Europe’s biggest economies this month, leaving households poorer as they picked up the bill for soaring energy costs in the wake of Russia’s shock invasion of Ukraine. Price growth hit multi-decade highs in Italy, France, Germany and Spain in March. This has intensified a policy dilemma for the European Central…

Oil prices seesawed today ahead of a meeting of consuming nations to discuss a new release of emergency oil reserves alongside a huge planned release by the US. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dipped 6 cents to $100.22 a barrel in early trade after trading as high as $101.75. The contract had slumped…

Irish businesses are emerging stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic than their global counterparts, according to new research by EY Ireland. 37% of Irish CEOs surveyed said their businesses have been reshaped positively in some form by the pandemic, compared with just 13% across the world. The findings suggest that Irish firms may be adapting faster…

Properties in Ireland are on average selling for over 3.5% above their asking prices at the moment, according to an analysis of the market by the property website daft.ie. This time last year, the gap nationally had been just 0.4%. In early 2020, the typical transaction price was 0.5% below the listed price, the analysis…

The ongoing supply pinch in the used car market is continuing to force prices higher, with asking prices for pre-owned cars climbing 7.9% in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2021. That is according to listings website DoneDeal, which said the inflation represents the tenth consecutive quarter that…