Women are taking up almost twice as many job vacancies as men, according to the latest statistics.

Female participation in the labour market rose by 2,100 between March last year and this year, while for men the increase was of 1,221.

The figures are from the Labour Force Survey, published yesterday by the National Statistics Office. They show that women are slowly gaining ground in the job market.

An increase in the number of working women has been a government target for several years, as Malta still lags behind the rest of EU member states in this area.

A number of measures, such as tax incentives and free child care, have been put in place over the years to encourage more women to go out and work.

The statistics still show a significant disparity between the sexes in the job market, which was made up of 63 per cent men and 37 per cent women.

The study reports an increase in the overall number of workers and a slight increase among those looking for a job.

Compared to March last year, those active in the labour market increased by 3,321, with the overall employment rate reaching nearly half the population aged 15 and over.

The total number in work has now reached 173,360. On the other hand, the number wanting to work but still without a job rose to 11,255 – up 249.

More elderly staying in full-time work

Malta has one of the highest inactive populations in the EU with more than 167,000 persons not taking part in any economic activity.

Of every 100 people aged 15 to 64, only 61 were employed.

Significant success is being registered among the older generations who appear increasingly to be taking opportunities offered by changes in the law which allow them to carry on working without losing out on their pension.

In March there were 3,219 people over 65 still in full-time employment, an increase of 1,165 on the previous year.

The self-employed accounted for 13.6 per cent of those in work.

The survey, based on an ongoing quarterly sample of 3,200 private households, also delves into average incomes.

The average gross annual basic salary for employees until last March stood at €16,036. This amount excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances.

Average annual salaries varied from €27,561 among managers to €11,312 for entry-level staff.