The number of people receiving Pandemic Unemployment Payment in Donegal has decreased by 200 this week.
Seven thousand people on Donegal will receive the emergency payment this Tuesday. At the peak of the crisis in May, there were 22,700 people on PUP in the county.
Today, the Department of Social Protection issued payments valued at €71.7m to 230,400 people for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).
This represents a decrease of 2,000 on the 232,400 people paid last week and it is a drop of over 61% on the 598,000 paid at its peak on 5th May.
The top sectors in which employees are returning to work this week are Accommodation and Food Services; Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles and motorcycles; and Construction and Administrative and Support Service activities.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, T.D., commented:
“The Pandemic Unemployment Payment continues to be a vital source of income for thousands of individuals and families across the country and that’s why the Government has taken the decision to extend the payment until April 2021.
“This week, we see 6,800 more people closing their Payment. While it is positive that we continue to see more people returning to work, it is clear that the rate of decrease has slowed in recent weeks.
“In sectors where restrictions still apply, we hope that people will be able to return to their jobs once those restrictions ease. The Government also continues to roll out measures like the Back To Education Allowance aimed at getting people back to work.”
