THERE was a 15 per cent reduction in the number of people in Donegal in receipt of a Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) this week.
This week, there were 5,026 people in Donegal on a PUP, down from 5,983 last week.
At the height of the pandemic, in May 2020, there were over 22,500 PUPs received in Donegal in one week.
This week in total the Department of Social Protection issued weekly payments valued at €48.4 million to 163,327 people in receipt of the PUP.
The PUP figures published this week are in addition to the 175,281 people who were on the Live Register at the end of June.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said: “With the return of indoor hospitality, it is great to see more businesses now re-opened as we move into the busiest weeks of the summer holiday season.
“The number of people in receipt of the PUP is now at the lowest level since the pandemic began and every week we are seeing more and more people getting back to work.
“It is also very encouraging to see many businesses actively advertising for and hiring new staff. As new jobs are created, I and my Government colleagues want to ensure that people who are currently unemployed have the training, skills and the confidence to take on these new roles.”
The sector with the highest number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is Accommodation and Food Service Activities (37,723) followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (25,368) and Administrative and support service activities (18,350).
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