Taoiseach welcomes CSO inflation figs
12/03/2004 - 13:21:22The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has today welcomed the announcement that the annual rate of inflation is now 1.7%, down from 1.8% in January.
The Taoiseach said that " this decrease in the rate of inflation paralled with the increase in the numbers at work of almost 45,000 people are particularly encouraging and indicate very strongly a positive economic outlook for this year.
"I especially welcome the fact that full time employment accounted for over three quarters of this increase."
The current unemployment rate is down to 4.5%. Figures released yesterday from the CSO showed that 45,000 new jobs were created, two and a half times the number for 2002.
Much of the increase was accounted for by full-time jobs. The 25 to 34 age bracket accounted for the bulk of the new jobs.
