14,100 people in Waterford are claiming the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Benefit.
New figures from the Department of Social Protection show 200 people in the city and county will the receive the payment for the first time today.
1,300 people in Waterford are medically certified for receipt of the Enhanced Illness Benefit.
The latest stats show almost 600,000 people nationwide are now receiving the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Benefit.
The Department of Social Protection will pay out a total of €209.3m today.
In addition, 52,000 employers have registered for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, which is up from 39,000 at the same time last month.
It comes as research found younger workers have been worst affected by job losses and temporary layoffs.
This is due in part to a spike in layoffs of staff working as waiters, bartenders, and shop assistants.
We have published an update on payments awarded for #Covid19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Enhanced Illness Benefit. Please read our update here:https://t.co/4KsRwkWjzn#COVIDー19 #COVID19ireland pic.twitter.com/eSk3VgGrS8
— welfare.ie (@welfare_ie) May 5, 2020
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty today said:
"The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced at speed for maximum impact so that we could help as many people as possible during what is an unprecedented, once in a century, health emergency. The fact that so many have been moved into payment so quickly is a testimony to the agility and innovation my Department has demonstrated to respond to this crisis.
"We need to respond to the post-pandemic challenge with the same qualities and with a similar impact. Already, on Saturday, the Government announced a suite of measures to further support small, medium and larger businesses to restart, reconnect and rehire staff who have been laid off or furloughed.
"However, as our recent Working Paper on the initial impacts of the pandemic on our labour market demonstrated, some sectors have suffered more than most - particularly retail and hospitality.
"Working with the new Labour Market Advisory Council I recently appointed, my officials are now planning the necessary further supports and initiatives we will need to put in place to ensure that the thousands of workers who have been displaced can return to work as quickly as possible. We are determined that this short term health crisis will not be a long-term economic one for all those workers and families who have been affected."
