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Recent data from the CSO gives the Irish population at 5.5 million in April 2024 up by 41% since 2001. This is a very rapid rate of population growth. By contrast EU population grew by 5% in the same period. Migration is the key factor and has provided 54% of the total increase. As is to be expected migration likely also accounts for a high proportion of the increase in jobs. In the year to April 2024 net migration of over 25 year olds, presumably mostly coming to work, was the same as the total increase in employment - 50,000. Over the time since 2001 this age cohort of migrants was equal to about 54% of the increase in employment and suggests about half of employment growth is accounted for by migrants.

After a rapid increase in output and exports in the first quarter, caused by the stampede to get product into the US before the Trump tariffs, there was a sharp drop in activity in April. In May, however, things seem to have picked up. The indicators seem to suggest that second quarter GDP, when the data are available, will not show much of a decline compared to the first quarter surge.