Citizens of the Phillipines hold more active employment licences in Malta than nationals from any other non-EU country. Figures from the Employment Ministry show that Filipinos hold 946 active licences, meaning they are currently legally employed in Malta. Women hold 750 of these while men hold 196.
Filipinos are known to be widely employed as care workers and domestic housekeepers.
The figures show a total of 6,027 non-EU nationals are currently working in Malta.
This equates to 3.4 per cent of the 179,476 people employed during the third quarter of last year, according to the latest National Statistics Office report.
There is one non-EU resident who was granted a licence to work as a pastizzar
The number of workers from other EU countries is difficult to calculate because they do not need an employment licence.
Last week the Employment Ministry revealed 1,496 Romanians and Bulgarians were also in possession of valid licences before their requirement to obtain them was rescinded on New Year’s Day, in line with EU regulations.
Employment licences for non-EU nationals are applied for by the employer, except in cases of people granted international protection, who are granted a licence in their own name.
The granting of licences to third-country nationals by the Employment Training Centre is subject to labour market considerations. Employers must also demonstrate that they attempted to find suitable Maltese or EU candidates to fill their vacancies.
Asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection currently hold 1,980 active employment licences.
This figure is dwarfed by the 4,015 licences held by non-EU foreigners classified as third-country nationals or long term residents.
Following Filipinos, citizens of Serbia hold the next highest number of employment licences out of all non-EU countries.
Serbs have 671 active licences, of which 205 are held by women and 466 by men.
Chinese workers are in fourth place with 434 licences, sandwiched between citizens of Eritrea (666) and Somalia (318), from where the majority of asylum seekers in Malta originate.
Indians hold 247 licences, Russians hold 196, Nigerians hold 188, Turks have 185 and Ethiopians have 172.
Tables above and below show a breakdown of current work licences issued to third-country nationals by the Employment Ministry.
Some of the nationalities from further afield working legally in Malta include 54 Thais, 29 Brazilians, 25 Japanese, two Jamaicans and a solitary citizen of Samoa.
Although the figures did not indicate whether any particular nationalities were represented heavily in certain industries, they did show the most common sectors for third-country nationals to work in were cleaning, hotels and restaurants, healthcare/social work and construction.
The most common job filled by non-EU residents was a cleaner, with 474 licences granted. A further 399 have been issued for “cleaners and helpers in offices, hotels and other establishments”.
A total of 305 licences were granted to “home-based, personal care workers”. Just 23 of these went to men while the rest were issued to women.
Many citizens of the Philippines would be expected to be included in this category. Chefs received 274 licences while labourers were granted 231.
Among the more quirky professions listed, 85 third-country nationals were granted licences to work as masseurs. Just six of these were granted to men.
Sixty-two hold licences as “athletes and sports players”.
There is even one non-EU resident who was granted a licence to work as a pastizzar.
Beneficiaries of international protection were not included in these industry figures as they hold licences in their own name and often have more than one job.