DUBLIN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The number of people claiming
temporary Irish COVID-19 related jobless benefits fell by 2% for
the second successive week, data showed on Monday, as the
reopening of schools for the first time since March allowed some
recipients to return to work.
The state is paying 219,900 people the Pandemic Unemployment
Payment, a weekly drop of 5,100, the social protection ministry
said. Claims hit a lockdown peak of 600,000 in early May but the
pace of decline has slowed in recent weeks as many bars,
theatres and nightclubs remain closed.
A further 225,000 people were receiving regular jobless
benefits at the end of August, with another 360,000 employees on
a separate wage-subsidy scheme, separate data from the Central
Statistics Office showed on Monday. That means the state is
supporting a third of Ireland's labour force.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin
Editing by Gareth Jones)