The government and the PN argued over employment figures this evening in the wake of job figures issued by the National Statistics Office.
The government said the gainfully occupied population had increased and more jobs were created under the current government. This was confirmed by the figures issued by the NSO which showed that between July and September, the number of gainfully occupied was a record.
The employment rate had risen from 59.7% at the beginning of the legislature, to 61.3% by the third quarter of the year.
The number of jobs created by this government had increased by 5,302 whereas in the same period last year, the increase was of 2,856. That meant tat job creation was double that of the previous government.
Furthermore, half the increase in jobs consisted of full time jobs whereas last year, only a third of new jobs were full time. Salaries had also improved, marginally.
The end of the last legislature was characterised by uncertainty whereas under the present government, stability had been restored as new energy characterised the administration.
PN STATEMENT
The PN said that while the Nationalist government had created jobs and reduced unemployment during the worst of a world crisis, the Labour government was now creating unemployment at a time when the world economy was recovering.
It said that according to Labour Force Survey figures published by the National Statistics Office yesterday, although jobs continued to be created in the past months, the government was not managing to keep up with demand.
As a result, unemployment and the number of people registering for work were growing.
The PN said that recent figures reflected not just a general increase in employment but also in unemployment, especially since August.
While the number of those registering for work remained at the 7,200 level between January and July, they went up to 7,600 between August and November.
This was worrying because contrary to the situation in the past, there were now no international factors to justify such an increase. Even nearby European economies which until sometime ago had been in a state of collapse were growing, the PN said.