Nationalist candidate flags worrying unemployment figures

Nationalist MEP candidate Stefano Mallia took the Labour government to task over a rise of more than 1,000 youths out of a job in its first year of government.

“This government seems unable to recognise that there is an issue with unemployment… ‘worker’ seems to have been lost from its vocabulary,” Mallia, a lawyer, said.

He said Eurostat figures show an increase in unemployment across the board, currently at 15.3% for youths aged over 16, an increase of 1.6% over the past twelve months.

“Beyond headline numbers, it’s a 22% increase amongst those who have been on the unemployment register in excess of a year – an indication that unemployment is becoming a structural rather than a temporary issue,” Mallia said.

He also said that the number of young peopleout of a job, or not receiving any form of education and are not in training, had increased from 4,800 to 5,800.

“Muscat had guaranteed that with Labour, young people would be assured either a job, training placements or education. His job guarantee has so far only materialised for Labour’s inner circle of friends, while 1,000 more young people are now without training, education or employment,” Mallia claimed.

“30% of all jobs created in the Maltese economy over the past year were created in the public sector. This goes against all trends set by the previous administration and such a trend is not healthy for our economy. More ‘jobs for the boys’ in the public sector means more taxes to be able to pay unnecessary wages,” Mallia said.

Stefano Mallia said that if elected he will work in the European Parliament to bridge the gap between education and industry, promote legislation to facilitate startups and ensure that the youth guarantee as legislated by the European Parliament is fully rolled-out in Malta.