NEWS Irish manufacturers report a rise in activity
Most of Ireland’s manufacturers saw activity levels rise for the first time in six months in August, according to a closely watched poll that highlights the divergence between its booming economy and the rest of Europe. The AIB Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’
Index, compiled by S&P Global, rose to 50.8 in August from 47 in July. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below indicates contraction. Ireland’s figure compared with readings of 43.7 and 42.5 for the eurozone and the UK, respectively. Factory activity rose for the first time since
February, driven by more new orders and signalling that activity would remain strong in the coming months. New export orders rose after 14 months of declines, and confidence for the sector in the coming year hit its highest level in six months, the survey found. Companies were also hiring workers at the
fastest rate since February. The PMI followed the publication of Irish industrial production data that was so strong it skewed a recent EU-wide data release.
Despite the upbeat August reading, the Irish PMI remained below its historical average. While noting that the rise in Irish activity was “in marked contrast to the trend elsewhere”, AIB chief economist Oliver Mangan said it would be interesting to see whether the expansion would continue “given the ongoing weakness of manufacturing globally”.
Intel reaches important milestone
at new Irish manufacturing facility Intel said it has reached an important milestone at its newest Irish manufacturing facility.
‘Fab 34’ is located at Intel’s plant in Leixlip, County Kildare and is being developed as part of a €17 billion investment, which doubles Intel’s manufacturing space in Ireland. Work on the facility began in 2019 and it will be the first high-volume manufacturing location for the production of Intel 4 products. Intel said that this month, Fab 34 began
running its First Full Loop silicon. In a statement, the chip manufacturer said:
“This means that Fab has begun the process of running qualification silicon wafers from start to finish through consecutive process steps in the cleanroom. “This is a key step in the preparation
toward ramping full production silicon,” the company said.
Once Fab 34 is completed, Intel will employ around 6,500 people in Ireland. Earlier this year, pay cuts for senior staff and
a salary freeze for mid-level employees were announced at Intel Ireland as part of cost- cutting measures.
XPO Logistics introduces range of family-friendly policies in the UK and Ireland
XPO Logistics has significantly enhanced the amount of paid paternity leave in the UK and Ireland, with colleagues receiving up to two weeks of full pay.
The policy applies to new parents, either by
birth or through adoption. Despite paternity being the legally identified name for this type of leave, it will apply to all colleagues in any relationship regardless of how they identify. This is one of a range of policies being brought in as part of XPO’s commitment to providing care to colleagues across the company in the UK and Ireland during some of the most stressful times in their lives. Lynn Brown, vice president, human resources, UK and Ireland at XPO Logistics, said: “Enhancing the amount of paid paternity leave is something we want to do at XPO to support our colleagues without them having to worry about work or the financial impact. This is the latest in a range of family-friendly policies we have implemented, and we are just at the beginning of our plans to support our colleagues in all areas of their lives. “Each of these measures is an investment in the most vital part of our business – the people who work here.”
4 September 2023 Irish Manufacturing
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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