The number of people on the live register declined by 2.8 per cent in May after a sudden 5 per cent increase in the previous month, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said on Monday.
Some 165,700 people claimed jobseeker’s benefit or allowance last month, a decline of 4,700 people from April.
The 25 to 34-year-old age bracket made up the biggest proportion of those on the live register in May at 38,472 people, or 23.7 per cent of the total.
Men accounted for 56 per cent of the total, while 71.6 per cent of claimants were Irish citizens, the CSO said.
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The counties with the biggest percentage increases in the number of people on the live register were Dublin, up 2.9 per cent, and Kildare, up 0.7 per cent.
The largest decreases were recorded in Kerry, down 18.3 per cent, and Clare, down 15.2 per cent.
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Overall, the number of people on the live register declined by 0.5 per cent or 563 in May compared with the same month last year.
May’s decline comes after a sharp 5 per cent increase in the number of people on the live register in April.
Last month’s live register includes claims for the new Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit, which was unveiled in Budget 2025 and went live at the end of March.
It means people who lose their jobs will now have social welfare payments linked to their previous earnings for almost a year as part of a significant overhaul of the jobseeker’s allowance system.
The new scheme replaces the existing Jobseeker’s Benefit for people who become fully unemployed and who meet the contribution conditions for the scheme.
It is open to applications from people whose first day of unemployment is today.
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.
