Just under 15,000 people in Mayo have received payments from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in respect of their application for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week - with 533,000 people nationally receiving the payment.
These payments are in addition to the 210,000 people on the Live Register and over 42,000 employers have now registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy scheme.
The department released a breakdown of the figures by county during the week, which showed that Mayo had the eleventh highest claim by county with 14,900 receiving payment under the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and 600 receiving payments under the Covid-19 Illness Benefit scheme.
The most affected sectors nationally for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment scheme last week were Accommodation and food service activities (115,500 ), followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade (81,400 ) and Construction (71,000 ).
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, said: "With just over 50,000 additional payments approved in the last week, these figures would suggest that we are perhaps reaching a plateau in terms of those on the Covid payment.
"Furthermore, increasing numbers of employers are participating in the wage subsidy scheme and approximately 1.4m are still in full time work.
She added: “It is clear that we are living through the most challenging of times. Never before has there been such a need for welfare support from workers and employers, with more than three years’ worth of claims being processed in less than a month. My Department has risen to the challenge and has enhanced our online facilities, making it quick and easy for people to apply for an emergency Covid-19 unemployment payment, the enhanced Illness Benefit or indeed to close their Covid-19 claim, or change their payment details.
"I am very proud of the quick and efficient response of my Department and all that the staff have achieved over the past month. This is a temporary health crisis but it needn’t be a permanent economic emergency. As we reach the plateau of those on income support, we hope to bend and lower that curve also - getting as many back to work as soon as possible as and when the health environment permits.”
