An increase of 5,432 full-time jobs was registered between May 2013 and last May, according to the latest gainfully occupied statistics published yesterday.

In the period under review, full-time employment increased by 3.5 per cent, reaching 162,156 in May, the National Statistics Office said.

Registered part-time employment as a primary job rose by 6.3 per cent and reached 34,794.

The public sector saw an increase of 1,821 jobs between May 2013 and the corresponding month this year. During this 12-month period, the number of jobs in the private sector increased by 3,611 to 118,577.

In May, the administrative and support services activities and human health and social work activities contributed mostly to the increase in employment.

Full-time self-employed people rose by 508 compared to May last year. During the same month, the number of people in full-time employment, with an additional part-time job amounted to 24,455 – up by 4.5 per cent compared to the corresponding month last year.

Registered part-time employment in May went up by 5.5 per cent when compared to last year. Wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle repairs, and the accommodation and food service sectors, contributed mostly to the overall increase in part-time employment.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said this data was further testament to the fact that the Labour administration had employed 3,800 people with the civil service during its first 14 months in office.

This had resulted in a net increase of 2,072 employees, contrary to the finance minister’s promise to the EU Commissioner that Malta would cut some 500 public sector jobs to keep the deficit under control, the PN said.