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DUBLIN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Around 85,000 more people have
claimed temporary COVID-19 jobless benefits since Ireland moved
to the highest level of restrictions to fight the virus two
weeks ago, data showed on Tuesday.
Limiting restaurants to takeaway service and the closure of
non-essential retail pushed claims up to almost 330,000, from
244,153 before the six-week measures were introduced on Oct. 22,
but far below a peak of 600,000 during a stricter lockdown in
May.
Recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) have
been on the rise since hitting a post-lockdown low of 205,000 at
the start of October. They are expected to have helped push
Ireland's unemployment rate up to around 20% in October, from
14.7% in September. October unemployment data is due on
Wednesday.
The government has estimated that around 150,000 people will
be temporarily laid off due to the new tighter restrictions.
The state was also subsidising the wages of around 340,000
workers at the end of September. The number of companies
registered for the subsidy scheme has since risen to 40,500 from
38,200, data from the country's tax authority showed.
In positives employment news, four companies announced the
creation of 1,400 new jobs in Ireland on Monday, including 700
at Domino's Pizza, whose sales have jumped as more
people eat at home, and 300 roles at Pfizer.
That will increase the U.S. pharmaceutical giant's workforce
in Ireland to above 4,000. Pfizer also plans to invest $300
million in expanding its manufacturing and laboratory capacity
in the country, including a new development facility.
Ireland's large foreign multinational sector, which
accounted for around one in 10 jobs before the pandemic, has
shielded the economy from the worst of the crisis.
The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Ireland has dropped
over the past 10 days, fuelling hopes that retailers will be
allowed to open their doors and restaurants and pubs will be
able to serve limited numbers of people outdoors from Dec. 1.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Jon Boyle and Susan
Fenton)