Full-time employment up 1.6% in December 2011

Administrative data provided by the Employment and Training Corporation indicates that during December 2011, persons working on a full-time basis numbered 149,764, an increase of 1.6 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2010.

During December 2011, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 1.5 per cent, reaching 156,351 persons. This was mainly attributed to a rise of 2,318 in the gainfully occupied population. There was also a marginal drop of 19 persons registering as unemployed when compared to the corresponding month in 2010.

Compared to December 2010, the highest increases in full-time employment were recorded within the health and social work sector ( 7.3 per cent) and within the real estate, renting and business activities, ( 4.5 per cent). Conversely, a drop of 191 persons (1 per cent) was recorded within the manufacturing sector which stood at 20,959 for the month under review.

More than 70 per cent of full-time employment fell within the private sector, which went up by 1.7 per cent when compared to 2010 levels. Increases in full-time employment within the private sector were recorded in real estate, renting and business activities and other community, social and personal service activities. Employment within the public sector also rose by 1.2 per cent, with the highest increase being recorded within the health and social work sector.

Employment among men remained at par with the previous year, while female employment increased by 4.5 per cent. This was mainly caused by an increase of 13.1 per cent in the health and social work sector.

When compared to December 2010, the number of employees working on a full-time basis increased by 1.8 per cent, reaching a 132,135 persons while the number of persons registering as self-employed decreased by 0.18 per cent, reaching 17,629 persons. There was a significant decline in self-employment within the transport, storage and communication sector  of 12.7 per cent.

Part-time employment in December 2011 totalled 53,440 - an increase of 5.8 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2010. Part-time employment within the hotels and restaurants sector rose by 12.5 per cent or 1,075 persons when compared to 2010.

Part-timers who also held a full-time job increased by 4.5 per cent, reaching a total of 23,239 persons. The majority of these persons were males. Persons having a part-time job as their main occupation increased by 6.9 per cent to 30,201.