Clodagh Rice
@ClodaghLRice
Business Correspondent, BBC Northern Ireland. Email ✉️ [email protected]
Delighted to win the UK Journalist of the Year for the Nations and Regions award from @Wincottfound 🏆 - taking over from last year’s winner @JP_Biz and a big thanks to chair @lionelbarber
Some personal news🤰🏻 A big thank you to my lovely colleagues for the send off on my last day before maternity leave🍼 Next month I will have a different job (with a tiny boss) but hoping years of early breakfast shifts will help prepare me for what is coming next - a BBC baby👶🏻
Food manufacturer @DeliLitesirl in Warrenpoint is investing almost £13m automating its sandwich production and ‘heat-to-eat' product range🥪 It's also investing a further £6m creating 130 new jobs and upskilling the existing workforce
Good news for millennials 🛍️
Topshop is returning to the high street in a partnership with one of the Republic of Ireland's best known department stores. bbc.in/45dLCMp
Food bills on course to rise by £275 as prices jump bbc.in/4m4Ezeq
Thanks to all the mums who spoke to me in Lurgan about how expensive summer can be
According to research from the Ulster University, more parents are having to take their children out of sporting activities as they can't afford it due to the rising cost of living. Some parents in Lurgan who are calling for more support over the summer holidays.
Parents 'feel forgotten about' during summer months bbc.com/news/articles/…
Ryanair's net profit more than doubled in its April-June quarter, thanks to the timing of Easter holidays and better-than-expected last-minute fares, Europe's biggest low-cost carrier said today. rte.ie/b/1524469
British consumer sentiment had a marked fall for the first time in nearly three years last month, reflecting increased worries about job security, a Deloitte survey showed today. rte.ie/b/1524473
Ireland’s Cabinet to sign off on a €100bn infrastructure plan which will involve spending the Apple Tax money. Will be published tomorrow alongside the Summer Economic Statement which sets the broad fiscal envelope for the autumn budget. rte.ie/news/ireland/2…
We can confirm that Danske Bank debit cards are now back to being fully operational. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience while this issue was being resolved. We apologise again for any inconvenience caused.
NI unemployment rate rises and wage growth slows bbc.com/news/articles/…
Economist @resfoundation Charlie McCurdy said jobs market weakness is showing in lower wage growth, with recent pay recovery running out of steam “The latest jobs data presents a clear case for lowering interest rates. But higher than expected inflation muddies the picture”
How average private rents here have increased - and how they compare to England and Scotland (cheaper) but more expensive than Wales
The average house price in NI was £185,000 in Jan to Mar 2025- that’s up 9.5% or £16k in a year🏠 Average rent in NI was £852 in April- up 7.6% or £60 on 2024 NI annual growth has been slowing since record annual rise of 9.9% April 24 (NI rents data is for advertised new lets)
NI reported fastest house price growth of the UK regions but coming from the lowest base 🏠
In the 12 months to May 2025, average house prices increased to: • £290,000 (3.4%) in England • £210,000 (5.1%) in Wales • £192,000 (6.4%) in Scotland The average house price for Northern Ireland was £185,000 in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2025, up 9.5% from Quarter 1 2024.
The average house price in NI was £185,000 in Jan to Mar 2025- that’s up 9.5% or £16k in a year🏠 Average rent in NI was £852 in April- up 7.6% or £60 on 2024 NI annual growth has been slowing since record annual rise of 9.9% April 24 (NI rents data is for advertised new lets)
Average UK house prices increased by 3.9%, to £269,000 in the year to May 2025, up from 3.6% in the 12 months to April 2025. Average UK private rents increased by 6.7% in the year to June 2025, this is down from 7.0% in May 2025. Read more ➡️ ons.gov.uk/economy/inflat…
Is Northern Ireland an economic basket case? @JP_Biz's analysis here 👇 bbc.in/44Mjmz2