General Industry News

Employment numbers top 2.5m for the first time

The Irish Times – 17.02.2022

The number of people employed in the Irish economy has risen above 2.5 million for the first time. Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show that 229,100 more people were employed in the Republic last year, up 10.1 per cent on 2020 at 2,506,000 – a new record. The figure is nearly 150,000 higher than total employment prior to the pandemic in 2019 and comes on the back of increased participation in the labour force, particularly among women.

Fáilte Ireland Unveils Tourism Recovery Plans For 2022

Hospitality Ireland – 09.02.2022

Fáilte Ireland has unveiled plans to support the recovery of the tourism industry this year. The plans were unveiled at an in-person event called ‘From Survival to Recovery’, at the Convention Centre Dublin on Tuesday 8 February, which was attended by more than 800 tourism and hospitality sector representatives. The plans include a doubling of domestic marketing investment, to drive short breaks year round; further investment in the digital presence of tourism businesses; four regional tourism strategies, for Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Dublin, and the Wild Atlantic Way; 27 local-destination development plans; and plans to reduce tourism’s carbon footprint.