Ireland: the tiger takes smaller leaps

In Ireland, economic growth in 2000 grew at an 11% pace. This was not as fast as the two previous years but more than three times stronger than in other western European countries. On the labour market the situation improved dramatically, with the unemployment rate for the year falling to 4.2%. But inflation was quite strong at 5.3%. In 2001, real GDP will increase by ca. 6%. Consumer prices will increase, on average, by about 4%, and the unemployment rate will fall to 4%. In 2002 GDP will again be stronger than the western European average.