The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has confirmed that at least 8.1% of all recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) are attending full-time education.

The COVID-19-adjusted unemployment rate for July 2021 was 13.5%, including those on the PUP, according to the CSO figures.

Statistician John Mullane said: “While the standard measure of monthly unemployment was 6.5% in July 2021, the COVID-19 adjusted measure indicates a rate as high as 13.5% if all claimants of the  PUP were classified as unemployed.

“This alternative measure is down from the revised rate of 16.2% in June 2021 and down from 19.1% in July 2020.”

The monthly unemployment rate for July 2021 using standard methodology was 6.5%, down from the revised rate of 6.7% in June 2021 and down from 6.7% in July 2020.

In July 2021, the rate was 6.5% for both males and females, and stood at 17.3% for those aged 15 to 24, and 4.9% for those aged 25 to 74. 

Labour force

As well as the standard monthly unemployment estimates for July 2021, the CSO has published an alternative COVID-19-adjusted measure, which estimates the share of the labour force not working last month due to unemployment or who were out of work due to COVID-19 and receiving the PUP.

If all claimants of the PUP were classified as unemployed, this indicates a rate of 13.5% for all persons, with a rate of 13.2% for males and 13.7% for females.

By broad age group, the COVID-19 measure indicates a rate of 28.6% for those aged 15 to 24 years and 11.0% for those aged 25 to 74 years.

John Mullane continued: “The Department of Social Protection (DSP) have supplied supplementary information on whether the PUP recipients were in full-time education when asked to certify their status online on the MyWelfare.ie service. 

“While it should be noted that this information is not complete, it is estimated that at least 8.1% of all recipients of the PUP were attending full-time education at the time of certification.

“For those aged 25 years and over this could be as low as 1.4% while it is at least 34.6% for those aged under 25 years,” he clarified.

This analysis indicates that caution needs to be exercised when interpreting the COVID-19 adjusted rate, particularly for those aged under 25.

Without the PUP, full-time students would not be eligible to receive unemployment assistance or benefit.