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Tag Archives: Enterprise and Innovation

LEOs roar about new jobs

Start-ups and small businesses from across the country that have been supported by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) have delivered a net total of 3,700 new jobs in 2017. This brings the total number of new jobs created by LEO-backed companies to 15,000 since the LEOs were set up in 2014. The jobs results by the LEOs were welcomed by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys and the Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen, the opening of the annual LEO Forum in Athlone today (Monday). The 31 LEOs nationwide, run in partnership by Enterprise Ireland and local authorities, provide a ‘first stop shop’ for the supports available to entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses. Minister Breen said, “In a challenging environment, LEO clients have contributed substantially to economic development up and down the country, especially outside of the main urban centres. I would encourage the Local Authorities and …

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2m at work in Ireland

THE latest Quarterly National Household Survey figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), show that for the first time since Quarter 4 2008 there are now two million people employed in the State. All regions of the country saw a fall in unemployment in the past year. Since 2012 when the first Action Plan for Jobs was launched 176,000 more people are at work, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor has confirmed. The figures from the CSO also show that there is strong and continued employment growth in all regions of the country. Employment has grown in 12 out of 14 economic sectors, with largest increases recorded in construction, manufacturing and accommodation and food service activities. Speaking today (Tuesday) Minister Mitchell O’Connor said, “These figures from the Central Statistics Office are very encouraging and continue to show that the numbers of people employed in full time jobs is increasing steadily and I am particularly pleased to see …

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LEOs roar with over 3,500 jobs

A net total of 3,533 new full and part-time jobs were delivered in 2015 by the 6,500 small businesses from across the country that have been supported by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), according to Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor. The results, compiled by Enterprise Ireland following a survey, show that overall in 2015 a total of 7,122 new full and part time jobs were created in gross terms. The numbers employed in LEO supported small businesses currently stand at 32,592 overall. The 31 LEOs provide a ‘first stop shop’ for supports and signposting to start-ups, micro enterprises and small businesses nationwide in one easily accessible place. Commenting on the 2015 results, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said, “The creation of 3,533 net new jobs in 2015 by clients of the Local Enterprise Offices is a remarkable achievement and testament to the hard work and personal sacrifices being made by entrepreneurs in local communities all around the country. I …

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Government’s Mid-West Action Plan

The Government has today (Monday) launched the Mid-West Action Plan for Jobs, aimed at delivering 10-15% employment growth in the region by 2020. The plan is the fourth of eight regional jobs plans to be published as part of a new €250million regional jobs strategy led by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton. Having suffered very badly during the economic crisis, unemployment has now fallen from 16% when the first national Action Plan was launched to 11.2% this year. Numbers in work have started to steadily increase, with agency led jobs growing by 9% between 2011 and 2014. At the launch in Limerick, Minister Bruton said the challenge for this Regional Action Plan is to build on that success and target growth in key sectors of potential like Aviation, Lifesciences, Engineering, Internationally Traded Services and Tourism. If the potential of these sectors is harnessed properly an extra 23,000 jobs can be added by 2020. Key targets of …

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LEO helps new industry roar

Young people running their own business for least two years, are being encouraged to participate in a competition that could give them much needed finance. Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur’ (IBYE) competition is being promoted by the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Clare. As part of the Action Plan for Jobs initiative , it is aimed at those aged between 18 and 30 and the Local Enterprise Office has an investment fund of €20,000, to present to a “best established” business owner, based in the locality. Supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland, the competition is designed to seek out and support entrepreneurial talent across the country. A total investment fund of €50,000 is on offer through the Local Enterprise Office, €20,000 of which, will go to the ‘Best Established Business’ winner. A further €20,000 investment fund is on offer for the ‘Best Start-Up’ winner locally, with €10,000 on offer to the ‘Best New Idea’ winner. …

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Further fall in Live Register figures

The latest Live Register figures, show a continuing fall in the numbers of people signing on, marking 39 consecutive months of decrease. Annual decreases in Live Register figures occurred in all eight regions, with the fastest decrease occurring in the Mid-West region. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton welcomed the fact that the figures show signs that the positive trends are accelerating. On a seasonally adjusted basis, 4,300 people left the live register in February. The standardised unemployment rate is at 10.1%, down 0.2% in the month, and down from a high of 15.1% in February 2012, when the Government launched and started implementing the Action Plan for Jobs. The figures also show that, in gross terms, 141,151 people left the Live Register to take up work during the last 12 months. This means that the exit rate from the Live Register into work is running at 40% – up from 33% in 2012. Minister Bruton said, …

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Unemployment rate on downward trend

The latest Live Register figures show a continuing reduction in unemployment. There were 358,672 people on the Register in January 2015, a decrease of 40,958, or 10.2%, compared with the same month last year. The unemployment rate now stands at 10.5%, down from a crisis peak of 15.1% but over €i billion is to be invested in a number of measures ensure the downward trend continues. The Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, has made clear that the Government’s target is to reduce unemployment to below 10% by the end of 2015, and with this in mind, the following is a short but not exhaustive list of some of the key measures the Department of Social Protection is taking as part of the Pathways to Work and Action Plan for Jobs strategies to speed up the progress on the employment front and help jobseekers return to work. The Action Plan for Jobs, overseen by the Department of Jobs, …

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Jobs boost for Shannon

One hundred jobs, over the next five years, are to be created by AMAX, a leading US company at Western Business Park in Shannon. The AMAX Ireland location will serve as the European manufacturing facility for AMAX’s x86-based server and rack solutions as well as a logistics hub, joining AMAX’s headquarters in Fremont, California, as well as its multiple China facilities. The facility will provide a hundred jobs over the next five years in production, warehousing, finance and sales in the local community. The development is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland. The facility was designed to parallel AMAX’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and production lines in its Silicon Valley headquarters, and will feature the same level of industry-leading engineering and automation, as well as the same comprehensive test processes to achieve the highest standard of quality.

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