Economy & Unemployment in Ireland right now?

[McLovin']

I'm obviously not in Ireland at the moment, I don't need nor want to hear Liam babble.

Can those of you in the know post how things are from the Economy & Unemployment, the drop (I hear) in house prices etc?

Thank you,
Appreciated.

[Proinsias]

I'm obviously not in Ireland at the moment, I don't need nor want to hear Liam babble.

Can those of you in the know post how things are from the Economy & Unemployment, the drop (I hear) in house prices etc?

Thank you,
Appreciated.

The country is expected to be empty by June 09.

[McLovin']

The country is expected to be empty by June 09.
I'll get my coat then...

[Proinsias]

Unemployment was last at 5.9%, expected to be 7% by the end of next year, up from 4.2% back in 06.

There's about quarter of a million workers in the construction sector and currently just over 200k on the dole so it wouldn't take an awful lot for that figure to rise very significantly. Might have a big spike this month due to the builders holidays and the opportunity that gives for employers to lay casual workers off.
Those figures might also hide the large numbers of private contractors who can't get work but also can't sign on without winding up their companies.


Currently, Poland has a massive spending boom in construction, there's a lot of new EU money that must be spend by, IIRC, 2012 and they're struggling to get everything ready to do it but there's urban renewal, new train lines, motorways and an extension to the Warsaw underground system in the pipeline, not to mention the fact that salaries are rising quickly there so there's a good chance a lot of the Poles working in construction will go back.

[McLovin']

Had heard unemployment was up 20% and house prices dropped 40%

[Arcadia]

Zenith Technologies lay-offs also right now.

Another company servicing the pharma sector about to go "tits-up".

[strict66]

and amidst the looming forecast of job losses the bright sparks passed a bill just before it broke up for the summer curtailing pub / nightclubs & off licences hours which has in effect caused more unemployment. Now that the whole celtic tiger thing is winding down I wonder will the penny finally drop that it might have a been a better use of the bank and govt money i.e. yours and mine to have invested it in small business , inventions , copyrights and pattens instead of shitty apartments blotting the landscape.

[doppellanger]

Zenith Technologies lay-offs also right now.

Another company servicing the pharma sector about to go "tits-up".

I thought it was spelt with an X?

[AIAI]

Whats the story with Zenith?