There are more than 1,000 fewer people on the Live Register in Clare last month in comparison to the year prior.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show there are just under 3,900 people claiming unemployment benefit in the county, however the figures don’t include those on the pandemic unemployment payment.
While the number receiving some sort of unemployment benefit only dropped marginally in the second month of the year, it’s a drop of nearly a quarter on February 2021.
Once again Ennis registered the highest number of people on the live register – with 1,859 claiming last month.
North Clare saw the largest drop in people signing on in February – with 43 fewer visiting the Ennistymon social welfare office last month.
East Clare was the only area to record an increase in the number of people claiming, with 550 on the register in February – a more than 6% jump on January’s figures.
West Clare’s figure remained relatively stagnant, with just 698 claiming last month – drop of nearly 2.5%.
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 people remain on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in Clare.
New data from the CSO shows 1,257 availed of the Government support at the end of February, which is a fall of around 30 percent in the past month.
Nearly 15,000 people in Clare availed of the PUP at its peak in May of 2020.
Those in receipt of PUP will now receive 208 euro a week, with all recipients being moved on to standard jobseeker’s terms from the end of this month.
