PUP and Live Register jump 27% due to Level five restrictions

An additional 480,000 people were in receipt of the PUP in January because of Covid-related restrictions on workplaces

Figures released today by the CSO show the seasonally adjusted Live Register total for January was 190,500, down 4,200 from December 2020. File photo: Larry Cummins,

The number of people on the Live Register or receiving the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) jumped by 27% to 657,076 last month.

Figures released today by the CSO show the seasonally adjusted Live Register total for January was 190,500, down 4,200 from December 2020.

However, a further 480,000 people were in receipt of the PUP because of Covid-related restrictions on workplaces. 

This is a significant increase on the 335,599 people receiving the payment at the end of December. The surge in Covid cases after Christmas led to the implementation of a Level Five lockdown, which will remain in place until March 5 at the earliest.

Total number of persons on the Live Register or Pandemic Unemployment Payment increased by 27.0% to 657,076 over the month to January 2021https://t.co/7kDL66xwP5 #CSOIreland #Ireland #LabourMarket #LiveRegister #Jobs #Employment #Unemployment pic.twitter.com/dSusEkhWjJ

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) February 5, 2021

The CSO also said it has yet to provide figures on the number of people on the employment wage subsidy scheme, which replaced the temporary wage subsidy scheme and is administered by Revenue.

The Economic and Social Research Institute  said this week that it does not expect Ireland to return to its pre-Covid unemployment rate of 5% until the end of 2023. 

It has revised up the 2021 unemployment forecast to 17.4%, a significant jump from its earlier forecast of 14.5%.