'Unemployment statistics contradict Oppositon’s recent predictions' - PM

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has praised the work that his government has carried out in the one and a half years since Labour’s election victory.

Writing for Sunday newspaper ILLUM, Muscat quoted Eurostat’s records which indicate that Malta’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6% last June.

“This is the lowest unemployment rate that Eurostat has registered since it began collecting this data for Malta in January, 2000,” Muscat said. “This summer, Malta had the third lowest unemployment rate across Europe, behind only Germany and Austria.

“Opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s recent predictions that unemployment levels were set to rise to a record level have been proven false,” Muscat said. “Despite these positive figures, the Opposition has maintained its stance of negativity.”

Muscat added that the financial situation of Maltese households has improved throughout the last year. “Despite Simon Busuttil’s scepticism, the reduction in water and electricity bills has had a positive effect.”

“Decisions like that, along with the removal of unnecessary expenditures, are key factors to ensure that quality of life improves at a higher rate than it used to under the previous government.”

“Maltese families are now managing to save more money and look at the future optimistically. When the time comes for this government to present its second budget, we fill continue making those decisions that make sense for people.”

Read Joseph Muscat’s full article in Sunday’s edition of ILLUM.