Increase of 1.7% in employment over first quarter 2012

During the first quarter, nearly half the persons aged 15 and over were employed. Total employment during the period stood at 174,174, while unemployed and inactive persons stood at 11,285 (3 per cent) and 174,278 (48 per cent) respectively.

The activity rate, which corresponds to the share of persons aged 15-64 who were either employed or unemployed, was estimated at 64 per cent. This rate increased by 2 percentage points among females and 1 percentage point among males. More than 75 per cent of the surveyed population aged 25-54 was economically active during the period under review.

Out of every 100 persons aged 15-64 who were surveyed during the first quarter, 60 were employed. The highest employment rate was recorded among persons aged between 25 and 54. The employment rate varied from 46 per cent among females to 73 per cent among males.

The largest share of employed men (32 per cent) were engaged in wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service activities. On the other hand, 40 per cent of the female employed population worked in public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities.

In terms of professional status, self-employed persons accounted for nearly 14 per cent of the total work force (Table 15). Most employed persons, or 148,977 (86 per cent), worked on a full-time basis despite increases in part-time employment (Table 16).

During the period under review, the average gross annual salary of employees was estimated at €15,923. This amount refers to the basic salary and excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances, as explained in the methodological notes.

The highest average gross annual salary for employees was recorded in financial and insurance activities. Results also indicate significant differences in salaries between occupational grades.

The unemployment rate for the period under review was estimated at 6.1 per cent. Within the unemployed population, 49 per cent stated that they had been seeking work for at least 12 months.