IDA Ireland firms created 7,131 jobs in 2014
Above: IDA Ireland’s CEO Martin Shanahan
IDA Ireland, the Irish Government agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment, has reported the creation of 15,012 new jobs by IDA client companies during 2014. When job losses were taken into account, the net increase in employment was 7,131, one of the highest net levels of job creation in a decade. Total employment at IDA client companies now stands at 174,488 people, the highest level in the history of IDA Ireland.
IDA has now exceeded the jobs and investment targets set under its Horizon 2020 strategy (a regional economic development target for the dispersal of investments in regions outside Dublin and Cork) and is currently finalising a new five-year strategy to take the organisation into a new phase of development.
There were 197 investments in 2014, equating to a 20% increase on 2013. There was a notable rise in new name investment, with 88 new name investors in 2014, equating to a 13% increase on 2013.
Among the leading investments secured during the year were Amazon, Bristol Myers Squibb, Fidelity, LinkedIn, Survey Monkey, Air Bnb, PayPal, Ericsson, SAP, Johnson & Johnson, West Pharmaceuticals, Zendesk, Adroll and New Relic.
Ireland’s corporation tax offering was enhanced during 2014 with changes introduced as part of Budget 2015.
