Registered full-time employment increased by 4.7% in May while part-time employment as a primary job increased by 5.5% when compared to the same month a year ago.

The National Statistics Office said that according to administrative data provided by Jobsplus, the labour supply, excluding part-timers, increased by 3.5%, reaching 182,220.

This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (8,011) and a drop in registered unemployment (1,822).

Registered full-time employment in the private sector went up by 7,730 persons to 134,400. Public sector full-time employment increased by 281 persons to 44,309.

The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 391 when compared, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 7,620.

Full-time employment for males and females went up by 3.5% and 6.7% respectively.

Registered part-time employment in May 2016 went up by six per cent when compared to a year earlier.

The number of part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 24,183, up by 6.8%. Employed persons whose part-time job was their primary occupation totalled 35,375, up by 5.5%.