Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Taoiseach the number of persons in receipt of a long-term unemployment payment as a percentage of the workforce. [8442/19]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The exact information requested by the Deputy is not available.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of estimates of labour force (ILO) in the State. This survey replaced the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) from Q3 2017. The most recent LFS figures available are for Q4 2018.

In Q4 2018, the number of persons aged 15-74 years in the labour force was 2,398,800, of which 50,100 persons aged 15-74 years were classified as long-term (one year and over) unemployed. The long-term unemployment rate for persons aged 15-74 for Q4 2018 was 2.1%.

The LFS does not record the number of persons in receipt of a long-term jobseekers payment.

The Live Register is compiled from returns made to the Central Statistics Office by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). It comprises persons under 65 years of age in the following classes:

·All Claimants for Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) excluding systematic short-time workers

·Applicants for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) excluding smallholders/farm assists and other self-employed persons

·Other registrants including applicants for credited Social Welfare contributions but excluding those directly involved in an industrial dispute.

The most recent Live Register figures available are for January 2019.

In January 2019, there were 199,627 persons under 65 years of age on the Live Register, of whom 79,010 were on the Live Register continuously for one year or more.

The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days per week), seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseekers Benefit or Allowance. Unemployment is measured by the Labour Force Survey.