Tough times ahead, Ahern warns businesses

BUSINESSES must remain competitive or face extinction, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned yesterday as latest figures showed an extra 5,800 people out of work.

Mr Ahern said difficult economic challenges lay ahead and unless inflation can be brought down to the eurozone target rate of 2%, jobs and markets will be at serious risk.

Mr Ahern gave the warning in a keynote speech to the Irish Management Institute (IMI) conference as Central Statistics Office figures revealed there were 5,807 more people out of work in March than the same time last year.