Increase in part-time, full-time employment, PN hits out at increase in public sector jobs

PN says employment statistics confirm that 3,800 people were engaged in public service in 14 months

In May, registered full-time employment increased by 3.5 per cent when compared to the corresponding month last year, while registered part-time employment as a primary job rose by 6.3 per cent.

Administrative data provided by the ETC show that over a period of one year, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 3.2 per cent, reaching 169,297. This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (+5,432) and a drop in registered unemployment (-151).

In the month under review, the Administrative and Support Services Activities and the Human Health and Social Work Activities contributed mostly to the increase in employment, compared to the corresponding month last year. Registered full-time employment in the private sector went up by 3,611 persons, to 118,577. Public sector full-time employment increased by 1,821 persons to 43,579.

The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 508 when compared to May last year, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 4,924. Male and female full-time employment went up by 2.5 per cent and 5.3 per cent respectively over 2013 levels.

Registered part-time employment in May went up by 5.5 per cent when compared to last year. The sectors that contributed mostly to the overall increase in part-time employment were Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (+648 persons), followed by Accommodation and Food Service activities (+508).

In May, the number of part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 24,455, up by 4.5 per cent when compared to the corresponding month last year. Employed persons whose part-time job was their primary occupation totalled 34,794, up by 6.3 per cent, or 2,058 persons, when compared to 2013 levels.

PN reaction

The opposition today said that National Statistics Office figures published today confirm that since taking office in March 2013, the Labour government has employed 3,800 people in the public sector.

The statistics, the Nationalist Party said, also confirm that finance minister Edward Scicluna “lied” on public sector employment last month.

The statement said that in a report submitted to the European Commission, Scicluna had bound himself to replace the 1,500 public service employees who entered retirement with 1,000 new employees in order to balance out government’s books.

“However, over the past 14 months, not only did government replace the 1,750 employees who entered retirement but 2,072 other people were employed, as shown by today’s figures.”

The opposition added that the statistics show that instead of relying on the private sector, government was basing the economy on public service employment.

In addition, the PN said that the statistics also showed that Scicluna was wrong when he said that the number of workers in the public sector had increased because of reclassification of jobs.