There was a story out of Chicago this week that such is the extent of labour shortages there, that employers are waiving drug tests and hiring ex-convicts to fill vacancies as the region heads towards full employment.

Despite what some media commentators have suggested about the lack of detail contained therein, the Summer Economic Statement released by the Department of Finance this week is not meant to be a detailed breakdown of what the minister for finance will deliver on the fiscal front, writes Jim Power.

Over the past few weeks we have come back down to earth with a bang, writes Jim Power

The price of a barrel of oil has now increased by over 76% since the middle of June last year, writes Jim Power

Over the past week the IMF and others have warned or advised the Irish government to adopt a cautious approach in framing Budget 2019 and in managing fiscal policy thereafter, writes Jim Power.

The EU is pretty unwilling to allow any concessions that would weaken the structures of the union’s edifice, writes Jim Power.

The week after Easter has become synonymous in my mind with some teachers behaving badly.

What a difference a few months can make and what damage a Twitter-happy finger can do.

The future trading relationship between the EU and the UK is obviously the most crucial question of all from an Irish perspective. says Jim Power.

Last week, the CSO produced its first estimate of growth in the Irish economy in 2017, writes Jim Power.