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Good news: Companies in Ireland feel like hiring again

Exporting companies are positive about their business prospects over the next year.

MORE BUSINESSES IN Ireland plan to hire new staff in the coming months, with a new survey published this morning finding improved confidence among both domestic and foreign companies.

The Ibec Business Sentiment Survey found that hiring intentions have reached +16 and employment growth expectations among exporting firms jumped to +21.

The hiring intentions of Irish employers also improved considerably from -6 in the last survey to +10. Managers’ confidence in the Irish business environment reached a second successive record high at +35, up from +17 only three months before

Their future outlook was also high recording a reading of +38 signalling an expectation of improving conditions as we start the new year.

Furthermore, the survey found an increase in order books to +46 from +15 last year.

Ibec’s Head of Policy and Chief Economist, Fergal O’Brien said this “should lead to further reductions in unemployment, on the back of already very positive job growth last year”.

The challenge is to keep the positive momentum going. We must now look to reduce the burden of tax on the economy by reducing personal tax rates in the next budget.

“We also need to invest more in the future,” he said. “We still have significant infrastructure gaps that need to be urgently addressed.”

Read: Centra announces 400 new jobs at 20 additional stores>

Read: Some good news for Cork with 50 new jobs in call centre>

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32 Comments
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    Mute alwaysrightokay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 6:48 AM

    Jobbridge doesn’t count as employment.

    105
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Feb 5th 2014, 6:23 AM

    Feel like hiring ,but will they ,people hire people if they need them ,not because they feel like it

    51
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    Mute Cpm
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    Feb 5th 2014, 9:05 AM

    W, t, f?

    6
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    Mute conor hickey
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    Feb 5th 2014, 6:29 AM

    Scambridge. You’ve done it again.

    43
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    Mute Galwaybay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 7:05 AM

    What wage will they pay for hiring people. Minimum wage at best I’d suggest. I was talking to a friend of mine last week who’s unemployed. He said he’s being offered a few job but turn them down because his wife has a well paid job in the civil service and after tax he reckons he only be slight better off than on the dole. I asked him would he not want to get out of the house but he said he was happy enough. I’m sure this is the same for 1000′s of people up and down the country. No insensitive to work anymore.

    36
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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 7:10 AM

    That’s the issue, there is no incentive to get off the dole…the problem needs to be tackled head on. The dole should not be looked on as an entitlement but as money provided by ordinary working taxpayers for assistance for a minimum period of time and a reducing rate…

    51
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    Mute Galwaybay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 7:31 AM

    I agree. It needs to be tackled with a carrot and stick approach. If the dole rates go down wages have to go up and taxes have to come down. As it stands I can see this fellow still on the dole in 5 years if there no intensive for him to get a job.

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    Mute Vinny Cooney
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    Feb 5th 2014, 7:39 AM

    As far as I know if his wife has very good paying job he doesn’t qualify for dole. If they weren’t married maybe he could.

    24
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    Mute Galwaybay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:04 AM

    You get the dole for the first 9 month regardless of income. After that it means tested but I think you’ll nearly always get something

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    Mute DesBod
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:34 AM

    Your mate is a leech on the rest of us

    19
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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:34 AM

    I agree, I know a guy, used to be a painter but had to stop work after injuring his hand. It is now healed but is still on “disability” as he is diabetic. He said he is getting close to €400 a week, medical card and travel pass. His rent works out at €450 a month. This leaves him with the guts of €1200 for himself to pay a few bills and live of. He was getting €480 a week working. As he said himself it was costing him €80 a week on transport so there is no point in looking for work as he works out the same. It’s a joke of a system.

    23
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    Mute Philip King
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:37 AM

    I recently quit my job. Have never been on job seekers allowance before and have qualifications in construction, culinary arts and facilities management. I’m finding it difficult find work at the moment and going crazy around the house. There is every incentive to work. Don’t gimme that crap it’s not worth his while.

    16
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    Mute Paula McHugh
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:45 AM

    lets hope you never loose your job and require the dole. I’m gobsmacked how some people posting on here want unemployed people to starve and become homeless at the very least. bunch of mean spirited a**holes. mind your own business!

    14
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    Mute Philip King
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:51 AM

    @Paula. It’s the people that decide to stay on benefits for long periods of time that piss most people off. Everyone needs a hand every now and again.

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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:53 AM

    Paula I think most people don’t want anyone to starve I thinm the main gripe with people is the lifers and thoese that choose the dole as a way of life. Yes there is plenty on the dole who want work and it is in there makeup to work thoese are the people who should be getting full support.

    7
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    Mute Galwaybay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:58 AM

    I agree with you. I’m not saying what he’s doing is right. I’m just expressing the reality on the ground as I see it.

    5
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    Mute Cathal O Sullivan
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    Feb 5th 2014, 9:19 AM

    Simply put, dole recipients are not fully means tested and therefore any old mug can sit on their arse and get cash for doing sweet f&ck all.

    Why can people who are on the dole ( those who do not have disabilities) to get made to do community work such as pick up litter from the streets or help with tidy towns.

    Make them ‘work’ for their dole! I guarantee you’ll see far more people leaving the dole after finding out they have two pick up dog shit 3 days a week.

    Rant over.

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    Mute Sandra Cahill
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    Feb 5th 2014, 9:29 AM

    God your a great friend Galwaybay

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    Mute Sandra Cahill
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    Feb 5th 2014, 9:46 AM

    If he’s getting close to 400 a week he obviously has kids and his missus is not working or earning less than 150 per week. There’s no way he’s getting that kind of money as a single person, disabled or not

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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:00 AM

    Philip. I’m not for one minute suggesting the likes of youvare a problem. The way I look at it is, benefits should be paid based on what you put into the system and over a set period of time. It is people like you who are used to getting up in the morning to go working and contribute that need to be assisted. It is the likes of you who wants to work. I’m talking about people who have never worked or contributed but get supported. This gentleman I was referring to never paid tax, always cash in hand, yet the State supports him with his every need. These people should get €50 a week, end of . Pay your rent and feed yourself out of it. If these people are not prepared to help themselves why should hard working taxpayers support them. That’s the issue, there is no incentive. Income tax should be reduced along with welfare payments. Giving people a stark choice, if you want money. You work.

    4
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    Mute Philip King
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:11 AM

    I agree. Everyone is familiar with the problems you highlighted and knows someone that is taking advantage of the system.

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    Mute Galwaybay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:12 AM

    Explain??

    1
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    Mute Sandra Cahill
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:33 AM

    Pay rent and feed themselves for €50 a week?!!! Please tell me where in Ireland this is possible?

    3
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    Mute Sandra Cahill
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:36 AM

    Bad mouthing your “friend” … Generally people don’t bitch about their friends private business to everybody and anybody, if it bothers you that much say it to him don’t spout it on the internet

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    Mute Philip King
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:43 AM

    @sandra
    for bad things to happen all it takes is for good people to turn a blind eye.

    A major problem in this country.

    4
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    Mute Galwaybay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:52 AM

    @sandra if I was bad mouthing my friends I put his name up here. Neither his nor my name is up here. Only I know who I’m talking about. By the way I didn’t say I had a problem with what he’s doing. If that the way he get through life that his business. I hope I never in his position.

    2
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    Mute Sandra Cahill
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:58 AM

    Philip I ‘m not saying he should turn a blind eye, for one thing his friend is not doing anything wrong! As he stated his friend was after turning down a couple of jobs because he wouldn’t be much better off than he is now, there’s no crime in that! Why shouldn’t he try for a job with a decent wage? Just because your unemployed doesn’t mean you have to take any old shit job.
    What I was saying is if he thinks this is so bad it’s his friend he should be saying it to, not putting it up here.

    3
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    Mute Kris O Kay Kay
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    Feb 5th 2014, 11:09 AM

    Not the taxpayers problem Sandra, if you have money for a pint judging by your pic, you have money for food and rent. Don’t expect taxpayers to subsidize you.

    4
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    Mute Sandra Cahill
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    Feb 5th 2014, 11:16 AM

    I am a taxpayer! Have worked since I was 14. Still wouldn’t expect anyone to live on 50 quid a week

    4
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    Mute Madeleine Roche
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    Feb 5th 2014, 11:34 AM

    In America where welfare payments are too low to live on there are huge numbers of homeless and much higher crime rates.

    3
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    Mute Michelle Wallace
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:55 PM

    Their minimum wage is also too low. People can work two jobs and still be below the poverty line – that’s a disgrace.

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Feb 5th 2014, 8:00 AM

    If Mr Kenny and Mr Noonan et al say we have turned a corner, thats good enough for me.

    They are a great bunch of lads.

    4
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