Large parts of economy back on PUP as building sites shut again

More than 398,200 people required pandemic unemployment payment this week, including seven out of ten people in accommodation and food service and one in five building workers

As more building sites close down, there are 32,150 construction industry claimants on the pandemic unemployment payment. Picture: Larry Cummins

A surge in the numbers drawing down pandemic unemployment payments means seven out of ten people in accommodation and food service and one in five building workers are out of work at this early stage of the third lockdown.

There were more than 398,200 people in total requiring the PUP this week, up by almost 62,610 from last week, as the shakeout of jobs across the shuttered parts of the economy, including building sites that started to close late last week, start to show up in the figures.