More women joining the labour force

The female participation rate in employment jumped to 31.2 percent in the last quarter of 2007 from 29.2 percent in the same quarter in 2006, according to the results of a Labour Force Survey, published by the National Statistics Office this morning.

That increase was the major reason for an increase in the gainfully occupied population to 155,868 from 152,530 in October-December 2006.

Still, 49.5 percent of the population aged over 15 were shown as being inactive.

Unemployment in the final quarter of last year was 3.1 percent from 3.3 percent in the same period in the previous year.