Republic’s unemployment rate falls to pandemic low of 13.5%

The State’s Covid-adjusted unemployment rate fell to a pandemic low of 13.5 per cent in July, down from 16.2 per cent the previous month, as restrictions on hospitality continue to be loosened.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) had published figures last week, putting the jobless rate at 14.4 per cent but later pulled the release, saying the figures had been compiled incorrectly. The agency said the results for July published today replace the estimates which had been published on August 5th.

"The figures published on Thursday incorrectly included the total Live Register series data for July 2021 instead of the recipient only Live Register series data," senior statistician Edel Flannery said. "As soon as the error was discovered, the CSO removed the incorrect data from our website and all registered users were notified," she said.

The amended numbers suggest up 356,655 people remained either out of work or in receipt of the Government’s pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) in July.

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The latest numbers coincide with the reopening of indoor hospitality services and a faster-than-expected recovery in domestic economic activity.

The youth unemployment rate was put at 28.6 per cent, also down on previous months.

The standard measure of unemployment, which does not include PUP recipients, was put at 6.5 per cent.

Separate Live Register data – published by the CSO – show the number of people either on the register or in receipt of the PUP was 346,907 in July.

This was down 13.6 per cent on the previous month and suggests the loosening of restrictions is boosting employment.