Irish COVID-19 jobless claims climb again ahead of new constraints

The number of people in Ireland claiming temporary coronavirus-related jobless benefits rose for the second week in a row to 244,153, ahead of further restrictions due to be agreed later on Monday that could add another 100,000 claimants. Almost 40,000 people have sought the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) over the last two weeks since Level 3 restrictions banned indoor restaurant and pub service nationwide.

The number of people in Ireland claiming temporary coronavirus-related jobless benefits rose for the second week in a row to 244,153, ahead of further restrictions due to be agreed later on Monday that could add another 100,000 claimants.

Almost 40,000 people have sought the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) over the last two weeks since Level 3 restrictions banned indoor restaurant and pub service nationwide. That was towards the upper end of the 20,000 to 50,000 range estimated by the public expenditure department last week.

Parts of Level 4 and 5 of the five-step framework are set to be incorporated in the fresh curbs, two sources told Reuters on Monday. The department forecast that 50,000 to 65,000 would join the PUP under Level 4 and a further 35,000 to 52,000 in Level 5. The unemployment rate, including those in receipt of the PUP, stood at 14.7% before the recent restrictions.