- Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit now accounts for % of the Live Register
On 5th December, 2025, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Live Register figures for November 2025. There are 167,800 people on the Live Register (seasonally adjusted), an increase of 4,800 people from the same month last year. Looking at the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 44.0% of the Live Register and young people, aged under 25 years, account for 11.8%.
Over the year, the number of people on the Live Register for less than one year has increased by 7.5% to 109,507 people and account for 67.5% of those on the Live Register. Women account for 45.0% and young people for 13.9% of this part of the register.
52,798 people are on the Live Register for more than a year, a decrease of 6.5% on November 2024. Looking at this part of the Register from a gender and age perspective, women account for 40.5% and young people 7.4%. Exploring the issue of duration further, 48.8% 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 November Live Register, 30,826 people are on this benefit, accounting for 19.0% of the live register.
Activation Programmes - October
In October 2025 there were 36,275 participants in activation programmes, an increase of 1.5% since October 2024.
Education and Training Participation
The number of people participating in education and training programmes was 9,588, a similar number compared to October 2024. The number of people participating in SOLAS Full-time Training for Unemployed People has seen an increase of 5.6% to 5,233 people. The number of people on the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) decreased by 31.9% to 1007 participants; and the number of people receiving the Back to Education Allowance increased by 7.7% to 3,348 in October 2025.
Employment Programmes
The number of people participating in employment programmes increased by 1.9% to 26,687.
Community Employment remains the largest programme with 19,564 participants in October 2025 – 225 more participants than a year ago. The next biggest employment programme is TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative, with 4,463 participants, an increase of 19 people from October 2024. The third largest employment programme is the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme with 1,890 participants, a drop of 41 people over the year.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) has 287 participants, an increase of 134 from October 2024. The Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJIS) has increased to 89 participants and the Short-term Enterprise Allowance has also increased its numbers, with 394 people participating in October 2025.