Holiday season cheers consumers; job hunters want salary details; and Ericsson’s new jobs

The approaching holiday season appears to have cheered up consumers, according to Bank of Ireland’s monthly economic pulse, but businesses are still unsure of what lies ahead, with signs that elevated costs are starting to impact competitiveness, writes Laura Slattery.

Seven in 10 people say the absence of salary information on a job advertisement has put them off applying for the position, according to a new survey. And separate research suggests 30 per cent of workers would change jobs if their remote working preferences were not facilitated, even if it meant lower pay or fewer promotion opportunities.

Speaking of jobs, Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson says it will create 250 roles at its Athlone R&D campus over the next three years as the company continues to target growth in its 5G and cloud technologies. That’ll bring its employee numbers in Ireland up to 1,650, writes Ciara O’Brien.

The Irish whiskey industry has promised to reduce the amount of water used in distilling and increase tree planting to offset its carbon footprint as it trumpets how it already recycles much of the waste product of whiskey production for animal feed.

Interruptions undermine workplace focus and productivity

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How long might commuters be waiting for the Dart to Drogheda?

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From Nicola Coughlan’s hunks in landscaped gardens to Cillian Murphy’s gripping gangster romp: Patrick Freyne’s costume drama guide

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Europa League final: Ally McCoist enjoys the Dublin buzz as Lookman KOs Leverkusen

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Laura reports that the accents used in advertising voiceovers matter. That’s the conclusion of research commissioned by audio specialists IRS+ after an experiment found Irish people were less likely to skip Nissan’s current Qashqai television ad on YouTube if it was recorded in an accent from their region.

In her column, Pilita Clark throws the spotlight on business travel and how an increasing number of companies are making it more difficult for their executives to fly as they keep an eye on carbon emissions.

BNP Paribas Real Estate’s director of research, John McCartney, argues that property investment may never return to pre-pandemic norms with a shrinking retail sector and working from home fundamentally changing the sector.

Finally, Merryn Somerset Webb says that stock markets’ efforts to weave stories around whatever trend is on point at any particular time is coming back to bite investors as the reality of fundamentals hits.

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