By Róise Collins

THE number of people on the Live Register has fallen in all social welfare offices across Donegal.

County-wide, there has been a 10 per cent decrease in claimants compared to the same period last year.

At the end of May, 7,454 people were registered, down 145 from April’s total. This represents a drop of over 800 compared to May 2024, when there were 8,298 claimants.

According to the data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 743 of those currently on the Live Register are under the age of 25, while 6,711 are aged 25 or older. The number of male claimants stands at 4,048, while 3,406 are female.

Among Donegal’s social welfare offices, Killybegs recorded the largest year-on-year decline, with a 23 per cent drop in claimants from 507 to 389. Dungloe followed with a 17 per cent decrease, falling from 945 to 789.

In Donegal Town, the number of claimants declined by 11 per cent, from 533 to 476. Letterkenny saw a 10 per cent decrease, with figures falling from 2,352 to 2,122.

Ballyshannon saw a 9 per cent decline, going from 935 to 854. Buncrana saw an 8 per cent decrease, from 1,508 to 1,392. Dunfanaghy reported a 6 per cent drop, from 507 to 475.

Finally, Ballybofey had the smallest decrease, with numbers down 5 per cent from 1,011 to 957.