Business activity in the Eurozone service sector stabilised in January, with a marginal expansion ending a four-month period of contraction. Underlying conditions in the sector nonetheless remained lacklustre overall, as inflows of new business fell further and job losses were recorded for the first time since April 2010.  Growth in France and Germany offset declines in Spain and Italy.

Aon Hewitt Ireland, a unit of Aon Corporation of the US, says Irish pension funds increased 3.7% in January following a 2.4% drop in 2011.

Irish services sector activity fell for a second straight month in January 2012 but the rate of decline in new business slowed according to a report issued today.

Principal news stories from the Irish Times and Irish Examiner.

Irish Exchequer Returns 2012: The Department of Finance said today that the Exchequer deficit in January 2012 was €394m compared to €483m last January. Increased tax and non-tax revenues and lower net voted expenditure were largely offset by higher debt servicing costs and higher non-voted capital expenditure. Tax receipts were up 17% with a boost from timing of corporation tax.

Vhi Healthcare, the State-owned health insurer, announced today that it will increase its prices by an average of 9% next month with increases ranging from 6% - 12.5%. For most plans the price increase will be effective from 1st March, 2012. Vhi Healthcare said that the price increase is necessary to fund the healthcare needs of its customers.

Irish Economy 2012:  The Central Bank today sharply cut Ireland’s economic growth forecast for this year as the Eurozone faces recession and consumer spending falls at a time of continuing fiscal retrenchment.

Markets news on stocks, currencies and commodities; Deutsche Bank reports plunge in Q4 2011 earnings; Baltic Dry Index sinks to 25-year low on shipping glut.

The Department of Social Protection has this morning clarified the conditions applying to Irish Health Contribution Refunds.

Spain’s Insider-Outsider Divide: Some of Europe’s worst governed countries operate two parallel labour markets — one mainly protected from economic shocks and the other comprising temporary workers, where all risks are concentrated. In Spain severance pay of up to 45 days’ wages per year of service for permanent workers is available while in the current brutal recession, it’s young temporary workers who overwhelmingly have borne the brunt of the huge rise in unemployment.