The number of people receiving the Government’s pandemic unemployment payment has increased by more than 10,000 over the last week to 217,142. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said more than 19,000 people had applied for the payment over the past week. “That’s why a decision was taken to extend the pandemic unemployment payment into next year and, more importantly, keep it open to new entrants.”The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said the increase in the figures for those receiving the pandemic unemployment payment this week “did not reflect the impact of Donegal moving to Level 3 last Friday”. The department said the sector with the highest number of people receiving a pandemic unemployment payment this week was accommodation and food service activities, up by almost 7,000 from last week. It said education, public administration and defence were the only sectors with a slight fall in PUP payments this week.

Source: The Irish Times September 28, 2020 20:37 UTC