- Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit now accounts for 20.4% of the Live Register
On the 6th March, 2026, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Live Register figures for February 2026. There are 170,700 people on the Live Register (seasonally adjusted), an increase of 4,200 people from the same month last year. Looking at the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 44.3% of the Live Register and young people, aged under 25 years, account for 12.3%.
Over the year, the number of people on the Live Register for less than one year has increased by 7.1% to 116,328 people and account for 68.6% of those on the Live Register. Women account for 44.9% and young people for 14.5% of this part of the register.
53,179 people are on the Live Register for more than a year, a decrease of 6.1% on February 2025. Looking at this part of the Register from a gender and age perspective, women account for 40.2% and young people 7.4%. Exploring the issue of duration further, 49.1% 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 introduced in March 2025. In the February Live Register, 33,898 people are on this benefit, accounting for 20.0% of the Live Register.
Activation Programmes - January
In January 2026 there were 36,409 participants in activation programmes, an increase of 0.9% since January 2025.
Education and Training Participation
The number of people participating in education and training programmes was 9,837, a decrease of 83 people from January 2025. The number of people participating in SOLAS Full-time Training for Unemployed People has seen an increase of 6.2% to 5,261 people. The number of people on the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) decreased by 36.0% from the previous year to 943 participants; and the number of people receiving the Back to Education Allowance increased by 3.9% to 3,633 in January 2026.
Employment Programmes
The number of people participating in employment programmes increased by 1% to 26,572.
Community Employment remains the largest programme with 19,665 participants in January 2026 – 189 more participants than a year ago. The next biggest employment programme is TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative, with 4,286 participants, a similar number to January 2025. The third largest employment programme is the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme with 1,889 participants, a drop of 28 people over the year.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) has 280 participants, an increase of 115 from the previous year. The Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJIS) has increased to 76 participants and the Short-term Enterprise Allowance has also increased its numbers, with 376 people participating in January 2026.