The IT sector is driving a surge in Irish service production, which is now more than 20% above pre-pandemic levels.
However, accommodation, food, transportation and storage services remain at the same level as before Covid hit in March 2020.
The value of services in June increased 22.7% from February 2020, the month before pandemic restrictions were introduced, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The volume of services increased by 21.4% in the same month.
Information and communication services grew 45.9% from pre-pandemic levels in June price terms and 48.3% in volume terms.
Wholesale and retail services increased 13.3% in value terms over pre-pandemic levels, while professional and scientific services increased 12.8%.
However, accommodation and food (-4.8% by value, -11.6% by volume) and transport and storage services (-2.2% by value, -11.1% by volume) are still down from February 2020 levels. is.
‘Other’ services, which includes real estate, gambling, sports and recreation, merchandise repair and personal services, fell 11.9% in volume from pre-pandemic levels, while administrative and support services fell 10.8%.
The value of service production in June increased by 2 percent compared to May and increased by 21.5 percent year-on-year.
Service output increased 1.5 percent in May, 17.3 percent higher than in June 2021.
Year-on-year gains in value terms were led by accommodation and food (+95.2%), transportation and storage (+48.9%), ‘other’ services (+32.2%), and administrative and support services (+21.9%). brought about by rapid growth. computer).
There was a similar pattern in quantity.
However, CSO statistician Stephanie Kelleher urged caution in interpreting the year-on-year increase as “a very low base for comparison from a year ago.”
As of June 2021, many restrictions were still in place after the spread of the delta variant of coronavirus.
