The numbers claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment have dropped by almost 12,000 this week.
Just under 206,000 people will receive the payment today, 2,669 of them in Kilkenny & 1,961 in Carlow.
Donegal, which has been on Level 3 restrictions along with Dublin, will see an extra 2,000 people get the payment, making it the only county to register a rise in the past seven days.
Around 4,969 people have closed their account for return to work since 27th September, 149 of them locally with 99 in Kilkenny & 50 in Carlow.
While 2,028 people are currently in receipt of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment, 1,427 in Kilkenny & 990 in Carlow.