Over half of private sector employees in County Waterford employed by small businesses

54 percent of private sector employees in county Waterford are employed in small businesses, according to 2021 data from the Central Statistics Office.

The data was brought to light on Wednesday by the Small Firms Association (SFA), a leading representative body of Ireland’s small businesses.

The SFA announced on Wednesday that it had  launched its policy priorities document, at the dawn of Simon Harris’s administration and ahead of a busy year of elections.

The new policy document from the SFA focuses on four key pillars aimed at creating conductions for businesses to grow. These pillars are tackling business costs, easing the tax burden, upskilling for the 21st Century and enabling prosperity.

Among the key request for the new administration are the introduction of a PRSI rebate to assist small businesses with the transition towards a minimum wage. The SFA is calling for a reduction in Capital Gains Tax rate from 33 percent to 20 percent. The SFA also wants a introduce a National Training Voucher Scheme to boost in-company training and widen participation in upskilling and reskilling to include all businesses and employers.

David Broderick, Director of the Small Firms Association, said: “The Small Firms Association wants Government to assist local businesses that have endured challenging times in recent years. The most pressing challenge for small businesses across Waterford are rising business costs, particularly new and incoming labour costs which are harder for small businesses to endure. Small businesses are the beating heart of communities across the county and the SFA wants the government to renew its focus to create conditions for growth.”