Analysis: 725,000 people require jobs-linked welfare payment this week         

Employment wage subsidy scheme accounts for 302,800 of those in receipt of job-related welfare payments 

Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys. 

The number of people requiring the pandemic unemployment payment or PUP has fallen again this week — but 725,000 people are drawing down some sort of jobs-linked welfare payment and the separate Covid wage subsidy scheme now accounts for the largest number by far, an Irish Examiner analysis shows.

The Department of Social Protection said 221,000 people were drawing the PUP, down by 6,900 from last week. There are still 54,520 workers in accommodation and food services and 23,825 people in administrative jobs who still require a payment.

Other parts of the economy which have mostly reopened have posted only small falls this week, with hairdressing and beauty salons posting 10,710 PUP claimants. 

However, separate official figures show that, at 221,00, there are now far fewer people requiring the PUP than the 328,800 drawing the employment wage subsidy scheme (EWSS).

The number of people on EWSS had increased from 302,800 in May, according to Revenue figures.     

The EWSS and PUP figures suggest there is a total of over 725,000 people who require some sort of jobs-related welfare payment when the 175,280 people on the regular live register of unemployed is taken into account.