The number of persons registered as unemployed during May stood at 6,698 - an increase of 332, or 5.2 per cent, over the corresponding month last year, the NSO said.

During May, the number of persons registering as unemployed in Malta and Gozo stood at 6,023 and 675 respectively. Accordingly, during the twelve-month period to May, the number of registered unemployed went up by 345 on the mainland, but declined by 13 in Gozo.

The number of persons registering under Part 1 of the unemployment register increased by 331 (5.8 per cent), while those registering under Part 2 remained practically unchanged.

On a gender basis, 5,237, or 78.2 per cent, of persons registered as unemployed were men. When compared to last year, unemployment among men went up by 3.1 per cent, while female unemployment increased by 13.7 per cent.

Unemployment rose across all age groups, with the largest increase being registered among persons aged 45 and over (9.8 per cent). When compared to May 2011, the number of persons registering for work for more than one year increased by 83, or 3.7 per cent, while persons who were registering for work for less than 21 weeks increased by 62, or 2.3 per cent. Persons with a disability registering under Part 1 of the unemployment register numbered 473, an increase of 77 over the corresponding month last year.

In line with past trends, the largest share of unemployed men, were seeking occupations in services, sales and crafts, whereas women mostly sought clerical jobs.