Fewer registered unemployed

The number of people registering for work fell by 11.5 per cent between August 2009 and August this year, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

At the end of this August, the number on the unemployment register stood at 6,589, 854 fewer than a year earlier.

A total of 5,929 people were registered unemployed in Malta, 784 fewer than last year, whereas 660, or 70 fewer than last year, were registered unemployed in Gozo.

All age groups showed drops in the number of unemployed.

The number registering for work for less than three months fell by 663, however those registering for over a year increased by 83.

Men were found to be seeking trade and service-oriented jobs whereas women sought clerical or service-oriented jobs.

As of March, the registered unemployment rate stood at five per cent of the labour supply, excluding part-time workers. The unemployment rate for men was 5.7 per cent and it was 3.5 per cent for women.