- Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit now accounts for 19.5% of the Live Register
On the 9th January, 2026, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Live Register figures for December 2025. There are 172,200 people on the Live Register (seasonally adjusted), an increase of 7,100 people from the same month last year. Looking at the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 44.4% of the Live Register and young people, aged under 25 years, account for 11.5%.
Over the year, the number of people on the Live Register for less than one year has increased by 10.2% to 119,559 people and account for 69.4% of those on the Live Register. Women account for 46.1% and young people for 13.4% of this part of the register.
52,665 people are on the Live Register for more than a year, a decrease of 6.5% on December 2024. Looking at this part of the Register from a gender and age perspective, women account for 40.4% and young people 7.3%. Exploring the issue of duration further, 49.3% 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 December Live Register, 33,527 people are on this benefit, accounting for 19.5% of the Live Register.
Activation Programmes - November
In November 2025 there were 37,088 participants in activation programmes, an increase of 3.1% since November 2024.
Education and Training Participation
The number of people participating in education and training programmes was 10,215, an increase of 677 people from November 2024. The number of people participating in SOLAS Full-time Training for Unemployed People has seen an increase of 22.3% to 5,581 people. The number of people on the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) decreased by 5.1% to 989 participants; and the number of people receiving the Back to Education Allowance increased by 5.1% to 3,645 in November 2025.
Employment Programmes
The number of people participating in employment programmes increased by 1.6% to 26,873.
Community Employment remains the largest programme with 19,686 participants in November 2025 – 157 more participants than a year ago. The next biggest employment programme is TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative, with 4,483 participants, a similar number to November 2024. The third largest employment programme is the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme with 1,893 participants, a drop of 40 people over the year.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) has 299 participants, an increase of 135 from November 2024. The Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJIS) has increased to 93 participants and the Short-term Enterprise Allowance has also increased its numbers, with 420 people participating in November 2025.