In June, a drop of 1,200 individuals was reported from the live register, reducing the number of benefit recipients to 171,500 according to seasonally adjusted data from the Central Statistics Office. Concurrently, the Central Statistics Office shared that the monthly unemployment figures display a small rise of 0.2% to 4.2%. Although the live register gives an overview of the labour market, it does not specifically represent unemployment figures since it includes part-time or casual workers who are also eligible for benefits.
There were over 174,909 people registered in June, with men accounting for 53.3% and Irish citizens making up 70.5%. The largest age group was between 35-44 years, composing 23.3% of the total, equating to 40,692 individuals.
The most significant decrease in the live register was in Kilkenny, with a drop of 14.4%. Other decreases were seen in Cavan and both Donegal and Kerry, decreasing by 11.5% and 11.3% respectively. Conversely, Meath witnessed a 4.5% rise, making it the only county to record an increase in registrations over the 12 months up to June 2024.
Beneficiaries of the EU temporary protection scheme in Ireland declined by 586, coming down to 18,529. Conor Delves, a CSO statistician, stated that as of June 2024, there were 62,106 individuals who had been on the live register for a year or more, showing a decline of 5.6% or 3,668 fewer people compared to the same period last year. He further explained that those who have been on the live register for a year or less amounted to 112,803, which is just shy of two-thirds of the total number counted.