PAYE umbrella company contractors may be tempted to relocate to Ireland after Apple announced it intends to expand its European HQ in Cork.
The company currently provides work for 2,800 people at the Hollyhill HQ and a further 500 posts are due to be created in the coming 18 months. The welcome announcement comes after months of negotiations between Apple and government officials.
Richard Bruton, the Minister for Jobs in Ireland, said he was delighted that one of the world’s leading companies was going to expand operations in the country. The creation of 500 new jobs will provide a huge boost for Ireland and it shows that Apple has confidence in Ireland as well as what could be achieved if the economy at home, and in the rest of Europe, was more stable.
There are likely to be opportunities for IT contractors as Apple looks to increase staffing for technical support and online services.
The Hollyhill plant was built in 1980 and at the time was the first Apple base outside the US. It has undergone expansion before thanks to the popularity of iPods and Apple’s bounce back in the personal computing market.
At the end of the 90s, around 450 people lost their jobs at the plant and some thought Apple was downsizing its Irish operations. Much has changed since then and Hollyhill now has a major role to play in the African and Middle Eastern supply chains as well as supporting Apple’s European operations.
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