The number of people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has fallen again to 439,000 - a drop of 26,900 over the last week, according to the latest figures from the Department of Social Protection.
At the peak of the crisis, 598,000 people were in receipt of the PUP, but since then, as the economy gradually reopens, 159,000 have exited the scheme established on 26 March.
While these figures represent good news for the government, the fact that almost 440,000 people remain dependent on the PUP suggests that there is still a long way to go to bring unemployment to sustainable levels, particularly given that a further 225,600 people remain on the Live Register.