Live Register - August 2025
- Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit now accounts for 14.2% of the Live Register
- Participation in employment programmes is stable, while a drop of over 25% is seen in participation in education and training programmes
On the 9th September, 2025, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Live Register figures for August 2025. There were 168,600 people on the Live Register (seasonally adjusted), a decrease of 800 people from the same month last year. Looking at the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 44.9% of the Live Register and young people, aged under 25 years, account for 12.8%.
Over the year, the number of people on the Live Register for less than one year has increased by 5.1% to 121,518 people and account for 68.4% of those on the Live Register. Women account for 48.4% and young people for 15.2% of this part of the register.
56,082 people were on the Live Register for more than a year, an increase of 5.1% on August 2024. Looking at this part of the Register from a gender and age perspective, women account for 41.4% and young people 7.7%. Exploring the issue of duration further, 47.3% of the people on the Live Register for more than a year have been on it for at least three years.
Introduction of Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit
The new social welfare payment, called Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit (JPRB), was opened early this year. In the August Live Register, 25,193 people were on this benefit, accounting for 14.2% of the live register.
Activation Programmes - July
In July 2025 there were 30,769 participants in activation programmes, a decrease of 2.9% since July 2024.
A Major Decrease seen in Education and Training Participation
The number of people participating in education and training programmes was 3,934, a decrease of 28.5% compared to July 2024. The number of people participating in SOLAS Full-time Training for Unemployed People has seen a decrease of 21.5% to 3,301 people. The number of people on the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) decreased by 54.0% to 438 participants; and the number of people receiving the Back to Education Allowance increased by 57.3% to 195 in July 2025.
Employment Programmes
The number of people participating in employment programmes increased by 5.7% to 26,835.
Community Employment remains the largest programme with 19,686 participants in July 2025 – 439 more participants than a year ago. The next biggest employment programme is TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative, with 4,645 participants, an increase of 140 people from July 2024. The third largest employment programme is the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme with 1,868 participants, a drop of 3.4% over the year.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) has 270 participants, an increase of 106 from July 2024. The Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJIS) has increased to 77 participants and the Short-term Enterprise Allowance has also increased its numbers, with 289 people participating in July 2025.