Unemployment figures in Gozitan localities

In the article Unemployment Plagues Gozo And The South (June 24) it was noted that Cospicua and Zebbug in Gozo came top of the league in terms of population of the respective towns. In both localities, the number of registered unemployed individuals stood at 4.7 per cent of their populations.

This is not the real situation in Zebbug. Although there are unemployed people and there might even be those who abuse the system, the people of this Gozitan village are hard working.

Zebbug includes Marsalforn. If the 85 unemployed or 4.7 per cent were broken down according to people living in Zebbug and those living in Marsalforn, then we would have a different situation.

The figure for Munxar, which placed fifth with 39 or 3.6 per cent unemployed, does not reflect reality either, because it includes Xlendi.

The Social Policy Ministry should separate Zebbug from Marsalforn and Munxar from Xlendi. Then the unemployment situation there would be better than in Malta. Zebbug in Gozo would place within the lowest 10 localities with one per cent or less - much lower than the 4.7 per cent that is being attributed to it.