Live Register Figures for January Were Down .4%

According to the most recent figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of people on Ireland’s Live Register decreased slightly in January of this year.

However, there was a significant increase in those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Jobseeker’s Benefit over the same period last year. Let’s take a closer look at the current Live Register figures and what they mean for Irish citizens.

The seasonally adjusted total of people on the Live Register was 184,700 in January, down 700 or 0.4% from December. Unadjusted, the total stood at 184,736, with 53.7% male and 69.8% Irish nationals.

Of the total, 130,042 were on Jobseeker’s Allowance, which was a 19.7% or 21,362 increase from January 2022, and 38,537 were on Jobseeker’s Benefit, which was an increase of 4.7% or 1,711 from last year’s numbers.

Other registrants totaled 16,157, a decrease of 5.4% or 903 compared to January 2021.

The 35-44 age group made up the most significant number of those on the Live Register last month at 43,867 or 23.7%. This was followed by 25-34 (41,766 or 22.6%), and 45-54 (37,708 or 20.4%).

Interestingly, all counties saw an increase in their respective numbers of persons on the Live Register over the past 12 months despite generally declining figures across Ireland as a whole during that time frame. Some notable counties were Kerry (+41.7%) and Leitrim (+36.8%). Kildare (+1.6%) and Tipperary (+2.6%) were the lowest of the counties.