Full-time employment went up by 6.5 per cent in February when compared to the same month last year, new data released on Wednesday showed.

Registered part-time employment was also up, albeit by a lower 2.8 per cent.

According to Jobsplus data, over a one year period labour supply had risen by 6 per cent to reach 201,992. This was mainly attributed to a year-on-year increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population and a decline in registered unemployment.

February data

In February 2018, administrative and support service activities and arts, entertainment and recreation were the biggest contributors to increases in employment, with 2,795 and 1,373 respectively, when compared to February 2017.

Registered full-time employment in the private sector went up by 10,990 persons to 153,361. Public sector full-time employment increased by 1,289 persons to 46,626.

The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 829 when compared to February 2017, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 11,450. Full-time employment for men and women went up by 5.4 per cent and 8.5 per cent respectively over 2017 levels.

Registered part-time employment

Registered part-time employment in February 2018 went up by 5.5 per cent when compared to a year earlier. The sectors that contributed most to the overall increase were professional, scientific and technical activities and wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

On the other hand, administrative and support services activities registered a drop of 227 when compared to February 2017.

The number of part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 26,363 up by 9.2 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2017. Employed persons whose part-time job was their primary occupation totalled 34,879, up by 2.8 per cent when compared to 2017.