Employment in April this year was up by 2,998 compared to the same month last year, according to the latest statistics.

The data, based on the records of the Employment and Training Corporation and released by the National Statistics Office, also show that the number of the registered unemployed in the period in question dropped by 1,021.

There were 148,041 people in full-time employment and 6,585 were unemployed, bringing the labour supply to 154,636, an increase of 1.3 per cent when compared to last year.

Most of the jobs generated in April – 2,262 – were registered in the private sector and 738 full-time employees were added to the public service ranks.

The increase in full-time employment was accompanied by a decrease of 60 workers listed as self-employed.

In April, part-time employment increased by 2,097 over the preceding year and there were 1,155 full-timers who also had a part-time job. The number of part-timers whose job was their primary occupation increased by 942.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said the results were satisfactory, adding that when one considered that 2,000 workers had retired, there were 1,000 less unemployed and about 3,000 new jobs had been generated, this totalled 6,000 new jobs.

He said the results did not come along by chance because the government was working to attract foreign investment and also incentivising business owners to invest further. He warned, however, that the international financial situation was “very unstable”.