Average full-time employment last year stood at 144,776 whereas total part-time employment in the same period was 48,967, the National Statistics Office said.

According to revised monthly figures of the gainfully-occupied population for 2008 and last year provided by the Employment and Training Corporation the gainfully-occupied population decreased by 677 or 0.5 per cent between 2008 and 2009. Registered unemployed increased by 1,127, or 18.2 per cent, the NSO said.

The resulting labour supply increased by 450 or 0.3 per cent.

It said that the annual average figures for last year indicate that the principal economic activity which has seen an increase in employment over the preceding year was "Other business activities".

This sector includes legal activities; accounting, book-keeping, and auditing activities; tax consultancy; business and management consultancy; architectural and engineering activities; advertising; security activities; and industrial cleaning.

It is estimated that the number of jobs in such business activities increased by 913, or 8.9 per cent, in the period under review.

Construction and wholesale and retail trade also registered an increase in the number of full-time persons by 352, or 2.9 per cent, and 212 or one per cent, respectively between 2008 and last year.

On the other hand, full-time jobs in manufacturing activities fell by 1,810 or 7.9 per cent.

Hotels and restaurants also recorded a decrease in their full-time employment, by 420 or 4.1 per cent.

The annual average figures of 2009 indicate that part-time employment rose by 2,357 or 5.1 per cent.

This increase included 1,178 persons, or 5.8 per cent, whose part-time job was their secondary occupation and 1,179 persons, or 4.5 per cent, whose part-time job was their primary occupation.

The economic activities which recorded the major increase in part-time employment were wholesale and retail trade and education.