Full-time employment in April increased by 4.3 per cent while part-time employment as a primary job increased by 5.8 per cent when compared to the corresponding month last year, the NSO said today.

Over a period of one year, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 3.2 per cent, reaching 181,502. This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (7,384) and a drop in registered unemployment (1,817).

In April 2016, Administrative and support service activitiesand Arts, entertainment and recreation contributed most to the increase in employment, compared to April 2015.

Full-time employment in the private sector went up by 7,075 persons to 133,370. Public sector full-time employment increased by 309 to 44,381.

The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 420 when compared to April 2015, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 6,964. Full-time employment for men and women went up by 3.2 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively over 2015 levels.

Part-time employment in April 2016 went up by 6.1 per cent when compared to a year earlier. The sectors that contributed most to the overall increase were accommodation and food service activities, wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and administrative and support service activities.

The number of part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 24,335 up by 6.5 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2015. Employed persons whose part-time job was their primary occupation totalled 35,053, up by 5.8 per cent or 1,922 persons when compared to 2015. 