Registered full-time employment increased by 4.2 per cent in May when compared to the corresponding month last year, while registered part-time employment as a primary job rose by 3.9 per cent, the National Statistics Office said.

Over a period of one year, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 2.9 per cent, reaching 174,437. This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (6,804) and a drop in registered unemployment (1,808). 

In May, administrative and support service activities contributed mostly to the increase in full-time employment, compared to May 2014 Registered full-time employment in the private sector went up by 6,421 persons to 125,087. Public sector full-time employment increased by 383 persons to 44,017.

Persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 630 when compared to May 2014, while persons registered as employees increased by 6,174. Full-time employment for men and women went up by 3.2 per cent and 5.9 per cent respectively over 2014 levels.

Registered part-time employment

Registered part-time employment in May 2015 went up by 4.7 per cent when compared to a year earlier. 

Part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 23,609, up by six per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2014. 

The government in a statement said the figures showed how in just over two years, the number of jobs increased by 2,500 more than the previous five years.