On October 4th, 2024, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Live Register figures for September 2024. There were 162,855 people on the Live Register, a decrease of 11,047 people on the same month last year. Looking at the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 45% of the Live Register and young people, aged under 25 years, account for 12%.
Over the year, the number of people on the Live Register for less than one year decreased by 5.7% to 104,903 people or 64% of those on the Live Register. Women account for 46% and young people for 15% of this part of the register. 57,952 people were on the Live Register for more than a year, a decrease of 8% on September 2023. The CSO’s data on duration dates back to October 2009: it is the first time that this figure is under 60,000 people. Looking at this part of the Register from a gender and age perspective: women account for 42% and young people 7%. Exploring the issue of duration further, 46% of the people on the Live Register for more than a year have been on it for at least three years. Women account for 39% of this group and young people 3%.
In Table A1 information is provided on the number of people ‘availing of Activation Programmes’. These figures always lag a month behind, and so in August 2024 there were 31,603 participants, an increase of 1.3% over the year. The number of people participating on education and training programmes was 4,492, a 6.7% decrease over the year. The number of people participating on the SOLAS Full-time Training for Unemployed People decreased by 2.3% to 3,422. The number of people on the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) decreased by 8.4% to 952 participants; and the number of people receiving the Back to Education Allowance dropped by 52% to 118 in August 2024.
The number of people participating on employment programmes increased by 2.7% to 27,111. Community Employment remains the largest programme with 19,225 participants in August 2024 – 488 more participants than a year ago. The next biggest employment programme is TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative, with 4,445 participants, a slight increase over the year. The third largest employment programme is the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme with 1,929 participants, a drop of 9% over the year. The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) increased from 782 participants in August 2023 to 1,184 participants in August 2024. The Part-time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJIS) fell by 36% over the year to 59 participants, while the Short-term Enterprise Allowance increased by 16% to 269 participants.