On the 6th November, 2026, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Live Register figures for October 2026. There are 172,800 people on the Live Register (seasonally adjusted), an increase of 2,600 people from the same month last year. Looking at the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 44.7% of the Live Register and young people, aged under 25 years, account for 12.4%.
Over the year, the number of people on the Live Register for less than one year has increased by 2.9% to 115,870 people and account for 68.9% of those on the Live Register. Women account for 47.2% and young people for 14.3% of this part of the register.
52,482 people are on the Live Register for more than a year, a decrease of 1.5% on October 2025. Looking at this part of the Register from a gender and age perspective, women account for 39.6% and young people 8.1%. Exploring the issue of duration further, 48.2% 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 Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit (JPRB), was introduced in October 2025. In the October Live Register, 34,570 people are on this benefit, accounting for 20.5% of the Live Register.
Activation Programmes - September
In September 2026 there were 33,586 participants in activation programmes, a decrease of 1.4% since September 2025.
Education and Training Participation
The number of people participating in education and training programmes was 7,077, a decrease of 409 people from September 2025. The number of people participating in SOLAS Full-time Training for Unemployed People has seen a decrease of 3.4% to 4,063 people. The number of people on the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) decreased by 333 people from the previous year to 567 participants; and the number of people receiving the Back to Education Allowance increased by 67, to 2,447 participants in September 2026.
Employment Programmes
The number of people participating in employment programmes in September remained stable over the year; there were 26,509 participants in total.
Community Employment remains the largest programme with 19,443 participants in September 2026 – 37 less participants than a year ago. The next biggest employment programme is TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative, with 4,379 participants, a decrease of 118 people over the year. The third largest employment programme is the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme with 1,833 participants, with a slight decrease of 24 participants over the year.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) has 316 participants, an increase of 37 from the previous year. The Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJIS) remained the same over the year, with 81 participants, and the Short-term Enterprise Allowance scheme has increased its numbers by 21.2%, with 457 people participating in September 2026.