Concerns the damage done to bricks and mortar retailing will be long lasting

There are fears that a significant number of retail workers will fail to return to jobs even when the crisis fully ends

Debenhams was one of the prominent retail casualties of the pandemic. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

Concerns are rising that workers in wholesale and retail will struggle to return to work as new figures show the number of people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment continues to fall. 

New figures from the Department of Social Protection show there were almost 192,300 people requiring the PUP this week – down by 9,800 in the week – as more businesses get up and running