Number on live register at lowest level

The numbers of people on the Live Register in Cavan are at their lowest point in 14 years, with November’s figure less than a third of that recorded at the peak during the recession.

The numbers have fallen by 460 over the past year, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

It shows, up to the end of November, 2,722 people were signing on at the end of last month, down from 3,182 at the same point in 2020.

A breakdown of the data shows the number on the register fell over the six months between November 2020 and May of this year, before seeing a slight rise in figures over the following three months.

The records show, understandably, the highest number of people signing on in the county do so through the Cavan Town social welfare office.

A total of 2,207 people signed on there in November, down from 2,553 last year.

Ballyconnell meanwhile also saw a drop, from 629 in November 2020 to 515 last month. The numbers on the Live Register in Cavan hit their peak locally at 7,988 in July 2010, with a slow fall since.

PUP payments

Separate figures from the Department of Social Protection show 707 people were receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) in Cavan on December 14.

That figure is slightly up on the week previous when 683 people received the payment. It follows the reintroduction of some COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the month but does not include those who signed up for the payment after the latest round of restrictions was announced on December 17.

Cavan saw 10,013 people receiving the PUP at its peak on May 4, 2020.