Business representative group Ibec has said the economy is going through a period of "exceptional growth" despite Covid and that should allow the worst impacted sectors to be supported through the winter under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme.
In its latest Quarterly Economic Outlook, Ibec expects the economy to grow this year by 13% and by 6% next year. Ibec says the biggest barrier to growth in the future will be labour shortages.
It expects costs such as energy to remain high into next year but then to subside. The employers group says the biggest risk to continuing trade growth will be problems in supply chains rather than a lack of demand.