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Virus income-support recipients had lower pay

Those moving off COVID-19 income supports in Q3 2021 had a similar growth of income between Q3 2019 and Q3 2021 (17%), compared with those who never received income supports (13%), new CSO data shows.

Statistician Seán O’Connor said that those who never received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 tended to have the highest median weekly income, followed by those who did not receive income supports in Q3 2021 but did in Q3 2020.

“Those who received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 have the lowest median income, followed finally by those who received income supports in Q3 2021 but who did not in Q3 2020,” he added.

Those who never received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 tend to be older than those who did, with a median age of 40.

Meanwhile, those who had no income supports in either Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 had the highest median income of €854 in Q3 2021.

Those who had no supports in Q3 2021 but did in Q3 2020 had a median income of €581, with the remaining two cohorts having the lowest median income.

This compares with a median age of 36 for those who had no supports in Q3 2021 and supports in Q3 2020, 35 for those who had supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020, and 32 for those who had supports in Q3 2021 and no supports in Q3 2020.

Earnings

The median earnings of those who never received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 stood at €854, an increase of 7% from the previous year.

The median earnings of those who did not receive income supports in Q3 2021 but did in Q3 2020 stood at €581, an increase of 24% from the previous year.

The change in earnings of those who never received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 showed an increase of 13% from Q3 2019 to Q3 2021.

The change in earnings of those who did not receive income supports in Q3 2021, but did in Q3 2020, showed a rise of 17% from Q3 2019 to Q3 2021. 

Those who never received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020, and remained with the same employer over the period, saw an increase in earnings of 6%.

Those who never received income supports in Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 and changed employer over the period saw an increase in earnings of 13%.

Other main results include:

• As of Q3 2021, around eight out of every 10 people were no longer on an income support, in this analysis,
• Of this segment, almost 67% received no supports in either Q3 2021 or Q3 2020, while 14% received them in Q3 2020, but no longer did Q3 2021,
• Those who had income supports in both Q3 2021 and Q3 2020 stood at nearly 16%,
• Those who had income supports in Q3 2021 but had none in Q3 2020 stood at nearly 4%.