Friends First has set up two new hedge funds aimed at private investors and institutions. Both are single premium policies and the minimum investment is £50,000.

6% of jobs become vacant

More than six out of every 100 jobs became vacant during 2000, according to the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, the group set up by the Government to look at future employment needs. A survey found that Irish companies had 78,000 vacancies last year, or 6.5 per cent of all available jobs.