The number of people on the live register saw a marginal decline of 0.5 per cent in August, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said on Tuesday.
A total of 168,600 people claimed jobseeker’s benefit or allowance last month, a decline of 500 people from July. Unemployment is lower this August compared to the same month last year, when the live register stood at 169,400.
August saw the second consecutive reduction of the live register, after a 0.7 per cent drop in July, paring back a 1.3 per cent increase in claimants in June.
The live register tracks labour market trends by counting the number of people currently registered for jobseekers benefits with the Department of Social Protection. It is differs from overall unemployment data as people with part-time or casual work may still be entitled to benefits.
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The 25- to 34-year-old age bracket made up the biggest proportion of those on the live register in August at 43,214 people, or 24.33 per cent of the total. Those under 25 represented 12.8 per cent of claimants, or 22,746 people.
Of those on the seasonally adjusted live register, men made up 92,800 while women represented 75,700.
The counties that saw the largest percentage decrease in claimants in the past 12 months were Kerry, down 12.1 per cent, and Donegal, down 8 per cent.
County Dublin had the most claimants on the register, with more than 48,500 people, with Cork having the second highest number – slightly above 14,500.
CSO statistician, Conor Delves said the counties that recorded the largest percentage increases were Dublin, up 3,469 people or 7.7 per cent, and Kildare, up 365 people, or 5.5 per cent.
In August, the number of people on the live register for more than 12 months was down 6,130 or 9.9 per cent to 56,130. Of those, 26,542 people have been on the register for more than three years, a significant reduction on the 37,154 figure in August 2023.
Mr Delves said there were 12,192 people benefitting from the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive included in the figures for August. This represented a reduction of 86 fewer people against July 2025.
The live register figure was adjusted earlier this year to includes claims for the new Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit, which was unveiled in Budget 2025. The benefit went live at the end of March and a more than 5 per cent rise in the live register was recorded in April.
The new scheme replaces the existing Jobseeker’s Benefit for people who become fully unemployed and who meet the contribution conditions for the scheme. Under the pay-related benefit system, the amount a person receives is linked to their previous earnings, subject to maximum and minimum rates of payment.
