EU workers double since 2008

A larger number of workers hailing from other European Union Member States are finding greener pastures in Malta since 2008, the year which saw the world hit by the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1920s.

Statistics provided by the Malta Employment Corporation show that the number of workers hailing from other EU Member States has increased from 4,262 in 2008 to 8,445 in 2012 - an increase of 98%.

The increase comes in the wake of the financial and economic crisis, which suggests that Malta's relatively prosperous economy is attracting labour from ailing or crisis, hit economies.

In fact, while the number of workers from the whole of the European Union as a whole has increased by 98%, the number of workers from the ailing Mediterranean economies (Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus) has increased by 211%.

Statistics show a 400% increase in workers from crisis-ridden Spain. The number of workers hailing from Spain has increased from just 62 in 2008 to 309 in November 2012. 

According to industry sources, a large component of Spanish and Eastern European workers are occupying the lower ranks of the labour force, as they are more willing to accept precarious conditions than Maltese workers.

In fact, out of a substantial number of Spanish workers, 76 work in the Accommodation and Food Service Activities, which includes workers in catering industry while 65 work in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation that includes gaming. 46 are engaged in Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities.

Workers from bankrupt Greece have also increased from 30 to 74. A third of Greek workers are employed in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector that includes gaming.

Workers from Italy, whose economy is also ailing, increased by 182% from 379 in 2008 to 1,070 in 2012.

The largest component of Italian workers (251) are engaged in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector. 201 Italians are engaged in the accommodation and Food Service Activities while 107 are registered as  retail and wholesale traders.

The Baltic republics are another region from which Malta has seen a significant increase of foreign workers.  The number of workers from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia has increased from 45 in 2008 to 271, an increase of 502%.

Other eastern European countries, which registered a high increase in migration to Malta, were Hungary and Romania. Workers from Hungary have increased by 228% from 136 in 2008 to 446 four years later while workers from Romania increased by 162% from 274 to 430 in the same time frame.

On the other hand, workers from Bulgaria - which still accounts for the second highest number of workers from an EU country (686) - have increased by only 10%.

But the statistics which also show a considerable increase of worker from prosperous Scandinavian countries and Germany indicate that the expansion of Malta's gaming sector and its financial sector have also contributed to the increase in workers from other EU countries.

Industry sources confirm that many of these are highly paid and are their presence has a  positive multiplier effect on the economy in sectors like the rental property market. They are also reputed to be high spenders and have contributed to a making some localities like Sliema and Gzira more cosmopolitan.

Since 2008, workers hailing from Sweden have increased from 280 to 536. This makes workers from the Scandinavian country the fifth most numerous communities of EU workers after the UK, Italy, Bulgaria and Germany. The number of Scandinavians (Swedes, Danes, Finns and Norwegians) has increased from 430 in 2008 to 842 in 2012.

Workers from western European countries like Germany and France have also increased considerably.

While Germans, who prevail in financial services and management posts, have increased from 331 to 537, the French have increased from 220 to 516. In the same timeframe, Dutch workers have increased from 42 to 83.

The UK remains the greatest exporter of workers from EU with the number of British workers increasing from 1,208 in 2008 to 2,072 in 2012, which represents a 72% increase in the past four years.