News
Live register fell in May by 2.8%
The seasonally adjusted Live Register total for May 2025 was 165,700 people, down by 4,700 people or 2.8% from April 2025.
New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the unadjusted Live Register total stood at 162,269 people for May 2025, of which 56% were male and 71.6% were Irish.
The May Live Register includes claims for the new Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit, which was introduced on 31 March for persons who became fully unemployed on or after that date.
The figures show that 11,133 people were on the pay-related benefit in May.
The new jobseeker’s payment is linked to a person’s previous earnings.
People who become unemployed, and who have at least five years’ paid PRSI contributions, are entitled to receive 60% of their earnings, subject to a maximum of €450 a week for the first 13 weeks.
After that, the rate will be 55% of earnings, subject to a maximum of €375 for the following 13 weeks.
A further 13 weeks will be paid at the rate of 50% of previous earnings, up to a maximum €300 payment.
According to the CSO, the 25-34 year age group made up the largest number of those on the Live Register in May 2025 at 38,472 people or 23.7% of the total.
The counties that recorded the largest percentage increases in the number of people on the Live Register in the 12 months to May 2025 were Dublin and Kildare, while the largest decreases were in Kerry and Clare.
In May there were 106,488 people on the Live Register for less than one year, which was 563 fewer people than in May 2024.
“There were 12,059 people benefitting from the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive included in the Live Register figures for May 2025, a decrease of 380 people from April 2025,” said Conor Delves, CSO Statistician in the Labour Market Analysis Section.
“The number of people on the Live Register for one year or more in May 2025 was 55,781, which was 5,574 fewer people than a year earlier,” Mr Delves said.