Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EMPLOYERS’ GROUP IBEC has sounded an optimistic note on job creation in the economy but has warned against the reversal of the 9 per cent VAT rate applied to the tourism and hospitality industry.
In its latest jobs report to the end of June, the organisation says that employment was up by 34,000 on the previous year with workers in the private sector increasing by 1.8 per cent on an annual basis.
According to the published research, 8,259 new jobs were announced in the past six months with over 2,100 jobs announced in September, an annual increase of 31 per cent.
The manufacturing sector provided a third of all jobs added in the first half of the year according to IBEC’s stats which say that the IT sector has been the most active component adding a total of 1,420 positions in the first two quarters.
This performance significantly exceeded expectations according to IBEC’s chief economist Fergal O’Brien who did however point out that despite the improving figures “unemployment remains at crisis level”.
IBEC strongly urged the government to resist any increase in taxes in the forthcoming budget which they said would directly hit jobs.
The government said last month that it was “examining the options” on the the special 9 per cent VAT rate for the tourism and hospitality industries but O’Brien has said that any reversal could lead to thousands of job losses:
The reduced VAT level for the hospitality sector and the introduction of a lower employer PRSI rate for low wage workers has worked. It has helped keep many businesses afloat and helped others to expand. A reversal of the 9 per cent VAT rate to 13.5 per cent would cost 10,000 jobs in the economy and undo much of the employment recovery seen in that sector over the past year.
Download the full report here>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What are the Catalans actually at now? They just seem to be ars*ing around
@Franklin Roosevelt: He knows that the split between the separatists and unionists is too fine to call an election he could very well lose.
@Mick Jordan: well, the problem is that Abby election would be a de facto independence referendum. The separatist movement would probably win and Madrid would suspend autonomy again. They were waiting for promised guarantees from Madrid to respect any election result. Madrid refused
@Paul Devlin: I’m not sure the seperatists would win. He has pretty much clocked everything up since the day after the referendum. Has come off very indecisive and almost afraid to act.
@Dave O Keeffe: or unwilling to ratchet up the tension to the point of violence. That’s Madrid’s way. Every violent or coercive blow the Spanish government lands leads another section of the Catalan people to the separatist camp
@Paul Devlin: I agree, but if he wanted a result he should have gone for it two weeks ago when people were already being brutalised by Madrid.
He is out of his depth. Think of the Grand Old Duke of York.
he’s just making an eejit of himself at this stage.. I think the momentum is just gone now &the govt in Madrid must be just loving watching this now
FLIP-FLOP. No wonder SF claim such an affinity to this party.
He knows they will be outcasted by Europe.. dopey stunt he played
@cormac o neill: they’d have a few friends at first, maybe some Scandinavian and Eastern European countries. The UK if Corbyn gets elected even.
Then the nation of Catalonia will become just the new normal and conservatives in Ireland, Britain and beyond will then pretend “Oh yeah, we were always cool with that idea”
Farcical. End of.
This chap is all over the place, get on with it
Just declare independence already.
lol. The head of the catalan fascist government seems to be Lost…
@La Massa: Fascist?
@Malachi: yeah, a facist disgrace. A shame for Freedom and democracy… A bad joke.
Looks like he bottled it
Eeny Meeny Money Mo. Catch a blackbird by the toe. If it squeals let it go eeny meaney miney mo….no election
I think he knows if he called a second election then the majority of the population would vote and the result wouldn’t be for independence.
Last time round most Catalan’s didn’t recognise the vote as legitimate and only the pro-
independence folk were motivated to vote.
Bit like the Easter Rising. Supported by very few, thought at the time to be crackpots and dreamers. Yet corrected history’s warm hand has made them out to be heroes.
This guy doesn’t seem to know the difference between his arse and his elbow.
have your say