Monday, 25th August 2008 - 11:49CET

Unemployment drops in Malta, persists in Gozo

Unemployment in July totalled 5,958, down by 374 when compared to the same month last year, the NSO said today.

It explained that there were 5,272 unemployed in Malta and 686 in Gozo.

In the 12 months to July 2008, Malta experienced a decline of 428 in unemployment, whereas Gozo saw an increase of 54.

The NSO said that between July 2007 and July 2008, the persons who had been on the unemployment register for 53 weeks and over dropped by 339.

As usual, occupations related to elementary duties and plant and machine operations were the jobs most sought by unemployed men, whereas women tended to seek jobs which were clerical or service oriented.

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Comments

Joseph Ellis (on 26/8/08)

The dearth of jobs in Gozo is a well-known fact and has been the case for a long time. There is a real diaspora from Gozo as the young have to go to the mainland to find a job. If one needs to confirm this, I invite him to take an early morning ferry.

The reasons for this state of affairs is that Malta Enterprise and the powers-that-be do not give the same importance to the creation of jobs in Gozo as they do in Malta. Malta Enterprise has hardly attracted any investment to Gozo in the last ten years. The only "major investment" in Gozo was the setting-up of the HSBC call-centre, which is not quite high-tech, after a reputed Lm 500,000 investment package.

To compare and contrast, one should visit Mosta Technopark, which is choc-a-bloc with technological investment, with Xewkija Industrial Estate. For a long time, this estate was practically empty and it has now been populated by native businesses which needed relocation. These businesses should get the necessary support, by all means, (in fact, arguably, support from ME is very weak) but what about foreign investment ?

Joseph Vassallo (on 25/8/08)

Can there be more moonlighters in Gozo than there are in Malta?

Charles Camilleri (on 25/8/08)

Does anyone believe anymore these figures. Foreigners come Malta (including illegal migrants) and find work while we have so many Maltese looking for a job. Funny is it.

emanuel bajada (on 25/8/08)

11.5% or 2 out of every 17 of total unemployed in Malta hail from Gozo!!! Is it this not worrying? More when one takes into consideration that around 1500 of those in employment hailing from Gozo, have a job on mainland Malta, makes it even more worrying. Maybe Joe Muscat's and his GTA's clamouring about an airstrip in Gozo would solve this growing and chronic problem.

Unemployment have been on the decrease for the last 5 or 6 successive months on mainland Malta and on the increase for said 5 or 6 months. No wonder we make all the fuzz and celebration when we manage to somehow convince an enterpreuner to invest in Gozo and maybe create half a dozen jobs.