The seasonally adjusted Live Register total for September 2026 was 172,200 people, down by 1,000 people from August 2026.
The unadjusted Live Register total stood at 167,193 people for September 2026, of which 56.0% were male and 72.1% were Irish. This was an increase of 1,950 people or 1.2% when compared with September 2025.
The 25 to 34 years age group made up the largest number of those on the Live Register in September 2026 at 40,845 people or 24.4% of the total.
The counties that recorded the largest percentage increases in the number of people on the Live Register in the 12 months to September 2026 were Dublin (+5.4%) and Longford (+3.5%), while the largest decreases were in Monaghan (-10.9%) and Kerry (-7.2%).
There were 113,676 people on the Live Register for less than one year, which was 68.0% of the total number of people on the Live Register.
Data in this release are subject to revision based on updates to the seasonally adjusted series whenever new monthly data are added, such revisions are typically very minor in scale. It should be noted that larger revisions can occur when the comprehensive annual review of the seasonal adjustment model is carried out in February of each year. See Background Notes for further details.
The Live Register includes claims for the new Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit (PRB) scheme. The scheme was introduced on Monday 31 March 2025 for persons who became fully unemployed on or after that date. Figures by type of Social Welfare Scheme are available on PxStat Tables LRM01 and LRM18.
| Persons on the Live Register - Unadjusted and Seasonally Adjusted | ||
| Live Register Total | Seasonally Adjusted | |
| September 2025 | 165,243 | 170,200 |
| August 2026 | 182,517 | 173,200 |
| September 2026 | 167,193 | 172,200 |
| Change in month | -1,000 | |
| Change in year | 1,950 | |
The number of Jobseeker’s Benefit claims decreased by 48.4% (-8,710) in September 2026 compared with 12 months earlier.
The number of Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit claims increased by 7,828 in September 2026 compared with 12 months earlier.*
*Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit was a new scheme introduced on 31 March 2025, which has contributed to a reduction in the number of Jobseeker’s Benefit claims year on year to September 2026.
Data up to the end of August 2026 on the number of persons availing of a range of programmes targeted primarily at the long-term unemployed (over 12 months) and other welfare recipients is provided in PxStat table LRM14.
Persons on activation programmes are not counted as part of the monthly Live Register.
Detailed tables relating to the monthly estimates of the number of persons on Live Register classified by NUTS2 and NUTS3 regions are included in the CSO Main Data Dissemination Service LRM17 on PxStat.
Table LRM13 on PxStat includes the Live Register occupational data which is sourced from information collected by the DSP on the most recent occupation of claimants when they sign on the Live Register.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (02 October 2026) published results from the Live Register for September 2026.
The Live Register captures a monthly count of people aged between 18 and 65 years who are registered to receive Jobseeker’s Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Jobseeker’s Pay Related Benefit, as well as other Social Welfare contributions. Detailed information is provided on a variety of variables such as schemes, duration of claim, age, sex and geographical analysis down to local office level.
Commenting on today’s release, Conor Delves, Statistician in the Labour Market Analysis Section, said:
“The unadjusted Live Register total for September 2026 was 167,193. The seasonally adjusted Live Register total for September 2026 was 172,200 or 1,000 fewer people than August 2026.
There were 10,323 people benefitting from the EU's Temporary Protection Directive included in the Live Register figures for September 2026, which was 837 fewer people than August 2026.
The counties that recorded the largest percentage decreases in numbers on the Live Register in the 12 months to September 2026 were Monaghan, down 200 people (-10.9%) and Kerry, down 377 people (-7.2%). The counties that recorded the largest percentage increases were Dublin up 2,497 people (+5.4%), and Longford, up 70 people (+3.5%) (see PxStat table LRM15).
The number of people on the Live Register for one year or more in September 2026 was 53,517, which was 1,054 fewer people (-1.9%) than in September 2025. Additionally, there were 113,676 people on the Live Register for less than one year, which was 3,004 more people (+2.7%) than in September 2025."
This release is based on administrative data provided to us by the Department of Social Protection. See our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information on administrative data.