65% decrease in numbers receiving Pandemic Unemployment Payment

SOME 4,512 Mayo people are in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week – a reduction of 143 in the past seven days.

At the height of the pandemic on May 5, a total of 16,400 people in the county were receiving PUP. As of today (September 22), 4,512 will receive the payment as people continue to return to work.

The Department of Social Protection has today issued payments valued at €61.3 million to 206,341 people for the Covid-19 PUP. This represents a decrease of 3,600 on the 209,941 people paid last week and it is a drop of over 65% on the 598,000 paid at its peak in May.

In the past seven days, 6,333 people have closed their claim, with 4,568 people receiving their final payment today.

Nationally, this week the sector with the largest number of employees returning to work is accommodation and food service activities with 820 people going back to work, followed by wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, and the education sector with 625 and 529 people from the respective sectors returning to work.

The largest age cohort returning to work is in the 35-44 group (1,146). This is followed by 1,007 in the 25-34 age category and 941 aged between 45 and 54.

The figures do not reflect the decision taken last week to move Dublin to Level 3 restrictions.