Published on 

Useful stats to know this week

This week the CSO published the latest unemployment figures, trips taken by Irish residents in Ireland in 2015, levels of production and manufacturing. We've the key points to know from these reports.

8.6% unemployment rate for March 2016 - lowest since end of 2008

  • The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March 2016 was 8.6%, down from 8.8% in February 2016 and down from 9.8% in March 2015.
  • The seasonally adjusted number of persons unemployed was 187,700 in March 2016, a decrease of 2,900 when compared to the February 2016 figure or a decrease of 23,400 when compared to March 2015 

€1,530 million - the amount spent by Irish residents on trips in Ireland in 2015

  • Irish residents took 7.5 million domestic trips in 2015, an increase of 2.4% when compared with 2014. Each trip had an average duration of 2.8 nights, resulting in 20.9 million bed nights.  
  • In 2015, more than half (50.7%) of all domestic trips were classified as holidays while over 2.4 million trips (32.0%) were to visit friends or relatives. 
  • Total expenditure on domestic trips in 2015 amounted to €1,530 million. Almost €939 million of this was accounted for by those on holidays, while those visiting friends or relatives spent €278 million in 2015. S
  • Visitors who stayed in hotel accommodation accounted for almost 3.1 million domestic trips in 2015, while those staying with family and friends accounted for nearly 2.5 million trips. 

To find out more check out the CSO Household Travel Survey.

0.3% - the fall in prices in the year to March

  • The most notable changes in the year were decreases in Transport (-5.9%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (-2.5%), Clothing & Footwear (-2.3%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (-1.0%).  There were increases in Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+4.3%), Education (+3.8%), Restaurants & Hotels (+1.7%) and Health (+1.0%).  
  • Consumer Prices in March, as measured by the CPI, increased by 0.4% in the month. During March of last year, prices increased by 0.6% in the month.  The most significant monthly price changes were increases in Clothing & Footwear (+3.3%) and Restaurants & Hotels (+0.7%).  There were decreases in Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (-0.9%) and Communications (-0.3%).   

For more information, take a look at CSO Consumer Price Index March 2016.

12.4% - the drop in production and manufacturing in the year to February 2016

  • Production for Manufacturing Industries for February 2016 was 12.4% lower than in January 2016.
  • On an annual basis production for February 2016 decreased by 1.3% when compared with February 2015.
  • The seasonally adjusted volume of industrial production for Manufacturing Industries for the three months December 2015 to February 2016 was 6.7% higher than in the preceding three month period. 

Read the full CSO Industrial Production and Turnover report