Ireland must work hard to Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008
(BizWorld)
Ireland will have to work hard to retain its edge and must improve its infrastructure and research, the chief economist with a major European think-tank said yesterday.
Simon Tilford, of the London-based Centre for European Reform, which ranks EU member states in terms of their performance in meeting the targets for productivity in the so-called Lisbon process, said he would still bet on Ireland being the fastest growing of the western European EU states between now and 2020.
Ireland improved its position from eighth to sixth in the most recent ranking, based largely on strong economic growth, high levels of investment and the strong rise in employment. However, Mr Tilford warned the country had significant weaknesses.
He told the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland's spring business lunch that one such weakness is the low level of spending on research and development.
"At just 1.3pc of GDP, this is much lower than in other wealthy member states. There is also insufficient competition in some markets, such as telecoms, and there is the issue of general infrastructure weaknesses," he said.
"I'm not just talking about the transport network, but also things like telecom services. A country that fails to ensure the rapid roll-out of super-fast telecoms will put its service sector at a potentially serious disadvantage," he added.
Irish productivity growth will have to be strong to offset rising costs in Ireland compared with other EU countries.
"The authorities here will have to work hard to retain the country's edge," Mr Tilford said. (Irish Independent)
Optimism for 2012? - We have seen a steady growth in the number of roles in Financial Services over the last 6 months .
Key roles we are recruiting for at the moment are;
Senior risk Managers
Senior compliance Manager
Internal Audit Managers
IT Managers
Qualified Accountants with financial Services Experience
General Financial Services Staff.
If you would like further information please submitt your cv and details to fs@directions.ie
Google to add 600 jobs at Dublin HQ - Google to add 600 jobs at Dublin HQ
December 13, 2005 21:40
Internet search company Google is to create 600 new jobs in an expansion of its European headquarters in Dublin.
The new jobs will be added over the next two to three years, and the company will be recruiting in all areas, from sales to legal, finance and human resources.
In order to accommodate the extra staff, the company has signed a lease for a further 100,000 square feet beside its current facility on Barrow Street in Dublin 4.
Enterprise, Trade & Employment Minister Micheal Martin said Google's decision was a 'tremendous vote of confidence in Ireland's ability to provide the levels of skills and expertise necessary for success'.
Google's Dublin operation is its largest outside the US. The new expansion is being supported by IDA Ireland.
Irish businesses confident for 2006 - Irish businesses confident for 2006
Monday, January 16 11:28:05
(BizWorld)
Irish small and medium sized businesses are facing the New Year with optimism on jobs and earnings, a survey from mobile provider, O2 Ireland revealed today.
The survey found that 56pc of firms employing between one and 250 people expect revenues to grow with almost one in three (31pc) forecasting that they will increase jobs.
The major challenge facing SMEs, according to the O2 study, is increased competition with almost one in four (24pc) citing this as the biggest threat. About half (51pc) said that oil price rises had affected their business in 2005 with 49pc absorbing the increased cost.
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The survey, which was conducted by TNS mrbi amongst 300 firms nationwide, found that only 3pc expect revenues to worsen in 2006.
Job prospects remain good with a significant 42pc saying that it is difficult to find staff. Only 3pc expect to cut jobs in 2006.
The survey also found a slight decline in the attractiveness of property as an investment.
If they had a spare E1,000 a month to invest, 61pc of owner managers/directors said they would put it into property - down from 68pc in last year's study and 28pc said they would put the money into a pension scheme - up from 22pc last year.
"There is most probably a feel good SSIA factor feeding into confidence levels with one in three firms more confident about 2006 than they were in 2005 - itself a good year," said Paul Farrell, marketing director, O2 Ireland.
Industry Profile - Pharmaceuticals - Ireland is a key global location for the pharmaceutical industry. Foreign Direct Investment for the Pharmaceutical sector in Ireland is 40 years old with Squibb (now Bristol-Myers Squibb) being the first pharmaceutical company to locate in Ireland in 1964. Currently thirteen (13) of the top fifteen (15) companies in the world have substantial operations in Ireland. In total there are eighty-three (83) facilities employing more than 17,000 people in Ireland.
Ireland is now one of the world’s largest exporters of Pharmaceuticals with €34 billion of intermediates and finished pharmaceuticals exported in 2002. 6 out of 10 and 12 out of 25 of the world’s top selling drugs are produced in Ireland including Lipitor and Zocor. Products are manufactured for global markets.
The Pharmaceutical cluster in Ireland is supported by a sophisticated infrastructure of serviced sites, public utilities as well as specialist support companies and services.
Many of the pharmaceutical companies in Ireland have established multiple activities in Ireland, including
* Fermentation e.g. Schering-Plough, Wyeth
* API e.g. Merck, Pfizer, Yamanouchi,
* Sterile Fill/Finish e.g. Genzyme, Allergan
* Formulation e.g. Wyeth, Takeda, Pfizer
* Shared Services/ Supply Chain Management e.g. Allergan, Pfizer, Novartis
* R&D/ Process Development e.g. Wyeth, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol- Myers Squibb
The sector’s satisfaction with Ireland is exemplified by several examples of repeat investment with major pharmaceutical companies having multiple plants; for example, Pfizer operates six manufacturing sites as well as a Corporate Bank and a European Financial Shared Services Centre.
The sector has become increasingly integrated in recent years. Early investment in fine chemical plants producing bulk active materials has been followed by investment in finished product pharmaceuticals. Many plants are now engaged in product development for Irish and other plants.
source IDA
Graduates' pay surges 14pc in 4 years -
Thursday, December 21 07:38:49(BizWorld)
Average annual starting salaries of primary degree holders have jumped 14pc in the past four years to E24,000, according to the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Its survey, covering the first destination of last year's university and Dublin Institute of Technology graduates, shows the median salary for those with a primary degree who were working last April was around E24,000, compared to just over E21,000 for the class of 2001.
While almost 4pc of such graduates were still seeking employment in April 2002, the comparative figure for 2005 graduates is just 2pc.
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FD Grows Contract Division - Due to continued demand from our Clients FD has established a contracts division to cater for the growing marketplace.Typicial roles range from Interim FD positions to Contract Credit Control roles.
Dublin ranks 8th in EU quality of life - (BizWorld) - http://www.businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=1128624
Monday, March 14 07:07:35
Dublin ranks eighth among EU capital cities in overall quality of life according to a new survey.
The city also ranks eighth in the EU for personal safety/security.
The survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting was conducted as part of a global quality of life survey to "help government and major companies to place employees on international assignments".
The rankings place Dublin well ahead of London, Rome and Athens but behind Vienna, Luxembourg, Amsterdam and Brussels.
Happy New Year - We would like to wish all our clients and candidates a very happy and sucessful 2012.
Senior Change Manager - We are currently recruiting a change manager for our client a financial services giant in Dublin. PLease contact us at fs@directions for further information.
Banking Specialists - We are sourcing senior banking specialists across the spectrum for roles in Dublin,Luxembourg and London. Please contact us for further information fs@directions.ie
Asset Recovery Manager - We are currently sourcing several role for Asset Recovery Managers in Dublin. Please contact fs@directions.ie for further information.
Luxembourg - We are recruiting Senior Managers for our clients in Luxembourg.
Auditors x 2
Senior Manager ( Qual Accountant ) with German
Great Salaries and relocation packages offered.
Please Contact Kate Mc Shane fs@directions.ie
Continued Demand - As we enter the last quarter of 2014 we have noticed a steady rise in demand for professionals at both senior and junior levels. The majority of these roles are for new positions as a result of companies now green lighting their expansion plans and realising now is a good time to hire staff for a busy 2015.
If you are interested in sourcing staff for new roles or indeed have requirements for any existing positions then please let us know. We have a database of over 30,000 candidates to draw from as well an extremely large network of referrals and contacts in Ireland, the UK and Luxembourg. We are an established recruitment company celebrating ten years in business with very experienced and professional consultants.
Please call us now if you would like to find out more about what we can offer or indeed to discuss what your staffing requirements are.
Head of Business Development - We are sourcing a Head of BD for a large International Financial Services organisation. Great Career opportunity coupled with very competitive package. Please contact Kate McShane fs@directions.ie
Employment Growth for 2016 - As we pass the halfway mark in 2016 we notice a continuing demand for candidates of all levels and across all sectors . Now is a good time to look for a new role and indeed an ideal to source the cream of the crop if you are indeed recruiting.
New HR Salary Guide Launched - Financial Directions have Launched their new HR Salary Survey Guide.
If you are interested in receiving a copy please email hrdublin@directions.ie or alternatively call +353 1 676 7222.
