513 thousand people are now claiming some form of unemployment benefit amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It includes almost 300,000 people who’ve lost their jobs and are receiving a special pandemic payment.
It means more people are now claiming unemployment benefits than at the height of the crash.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to businesses closing and thousands of people across the country losing their jobs.
The latest Live Register figures – which include part time, seasonal and casual workers – are out today.
182 thousand people were claiming unemployment benefits in February this year.
But a report from Goodbody estimates that could have jumped by around 300 thousand in March – setting a new record.
That would mean around a fifth of the working population are claiming some form of unemployment benefit.
