The unemployment rate in March, including those receiving the Pandemic Unemployment benefit was 16.5 per cent.
The CSO has released its first set of official monthly unemployment figures since the crisis began.
A third of those receiving some form of welfare support are aged 15 to 24, while the rate for those aged over 25 is just over 14 per cent.
The standard measure of unemployment, without the Covid payments, was 5.4% in March 2020.
