PN concerned with negative economic trends

The negative trends that characterized the second half of 2013 have persisted into this year, the PN said today.

Citing statistics published by the National Statistics Office, the opposition said that for the past four months, industrial production has fallen, describing it as a "concerning trend particularly in light of the number of jobs dependent on the production sector."

These statistics come just after the recently released statistic that close to 8,000 people are unemployed and that retail trade has also dropped, the PN said.

PN Deputy leader Mario de Marco added that these worrying trends echo the concerns of the party and of Maltese families that the economy's recovery is slowing, which contrast sharply with the positive words of the government. Of particular concern is the slowing of foreign investment, which remains the backbone of the local economy.

De Marco said that while the PN wholeheartedly agrees with initiatives to attract more people to the workforce, such initiatives must go hand in hand with a strategy that would provide such employment opportunities to potential employees. The indications given by the NSO suggest that those opportunities are slipping away.