35,600 people who are on the COVID-19 unemployment payment have informed the Department of Social Protection that they are returning to work.
Just over 33,000 of these will be receiving their last payment this week.
Tomorrow 579,400 people will receive the €350 payment at a cost of over €202 million.
It marks a fall of 5,200 when compared to the figures from last week.
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty says "Today, after a few weeks of plateauing, the indications are that the numbers receiving the payment will now fall as the country gradually reopens."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said last week that the future of the payment, which is due to expire in June, will be known by the end of May.
Minister Regina Doherty says there will always be help for those who need it "We need to now review the nature of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and how it fits into cross-Government plans to keep Ireland healthy and get the country working again. Any future decisions will be based on our commitment that everyone who needs help will get the most appropriate assistance and also based on the evidence we receive from the reopening of the economy."
Meanwhile, there are now almost 56,300 employers availing of the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.
482,800 people are now benefitting from the scheme.
