The number of people on COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment has fallen below 20,000 after a massive decline in the past week.
There are 18,800 people in Galway receiving the Pandemic Unemployment payment this week, a decline of 4,000 on July 7.
Nationwide there has been a drop of 67,300 people receiving the payment, the largest single week decline recorded so far.
The Department of Social Protection says that it is currently making payments valued at €106.8m to 345,600 people in the country.
Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, Heather Humphreys said that it is “heartening” and “reassuring for employees, businesses and communities” as they show people getting back to work.
A further 44,400 people have closed their Pandemic Unemployment claims in the past week, of whom 36,600 have said they are returning to work.
“I am particularly pleased to see that the number of employees in the Accommodation and Food service area who are back in work again being supported by the Government’s Temporary Wage Subsidy scheme.
As well as those availing of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, there are now over 66,900 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.
They are supporting an estimated 405,000 employees through the scheme. In the Accommodation and Food services sector, the number of employees in the Wage Subsidy Scheme climbed from 8,100 last week, to 22,000 this week.
The above payments are in addition to the 220,900 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of June.
Minister Humphreys says that the government is finalising the July Economic stimulus package to assist in the economic recovery from COVID-19.
“I am confident this will help the thousands of workers and businesses who were badly impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
