Unemployment in September stands at 6,554

In the twelve months to September, the number of registered unemployed persons in Malta decreased by 106, while that in Gozo went up by five. In total, the registered unemployed amounted to 5,874 persons in Malta and 680 persons in Gozo.

Year-on-year, men registered as unemployed decreased by 150, or 2.8 per cent, while registered unemployed women increased by 49, or 3.5 per cent. In total, there were 5,120 men and 1,434 women registering for work in September. Unemployment declined across all age groups, with the largest absolute decrease being recorded among the 25-29 age bracket.

When compared to September 2010, the number of persons registering for work for less than 20 weeks increased by 161, or 5.7 per cent, while the number of persons registering for more than one year declined by 236, or 9.3 per cent.

In September 2011, the number of disabled persons registering for work decreased by 20, or 4.6 per cent, over a year ago.

Most unemployed men were seeking occupations related to services, sales and crafts, whereas women sought clerical and service-oriented occupations.

Registered unemployment rate: May 2011

In May 2011, the registered unemployment rate (excluding part-timers) stood at 4.1 per cent of the labour supply. This rate stood at 4.9 per cent and 2.5 per cent for men and women respectively. The registered unemployment rate among workers aged 45 and over, and that with respect of those aged less than 25 stood at 4.4 per cent.

The unemployment rate of persons who had been registering for work for at least one year under Part 1 of the unemployment register stood at 1.5 per cent; 1.9 per cent for men and 0.7 per cent for women