Over the last two years, the UK economy has experienced stagnating output growth alongside increasing total employment. This counter-intuitive situation has come to be known as the "Productivity Puzzle". Northern Ireland has experienced a similar dynamic over the last two years. There is no...

Unemployment is the biggest single problem confronting Europe today. Ireland is no exception. With one in seven out of work, here, and one in four young people either out of work or not in education or training currently we are faced with a huge challenge. President Michael D. Higgins is correct to...

The experience of recession and austerity over recent years has been widespread. The impact has been greatest on those who lost their jobs since the combined economic, fiscal, banking, property and social crisis hit Ireland. Looking at just once indicator of the recession, household income, we can...

Below is a selection of pictures of the first annual Donal Nevin Lecture given by President Michael D. Higgins.

President M.D. Higgins speaking with Tom Healy 'The work of this Institute, and others like it, is critical in advancing reasoned moral arguments about how the issues of work, employment, unemployment and social security are to be approached' said President Michael D. Higgins at the inaugural Dónal...

A visitor from outer space might be forgiven for concluding that the only or main economic problem confronting European States was deficit and debts - Government deficits and debts. The corollary of this problem is - of course - austerity to cure the ailment. Or is it? Lets compare the Government...

The latest NERI seminar, from Kieran McQuinn and Robert Kelly of the Central Bank, examined the relationship between unemployment and house prices and used this relationship to examine the impact on banking defaults / mortgage defaults of economic growth. Modelling a fiscal stimulus of €2b, they...

The tax wedge measures the difference between the total labour costs to the employer (wages + employers PRSI) and the corresponding net take-home pay for an employee (gross wages - all income taxes and PRSI). It is generally reported as a percentage of total labour costs. The latest OECD figures for...