The full-time gainfully occupied population in August last year registered a drop of 1,711 when compared to the same period in 2008, according to the National Statistics Office.

The figure stood at 144,549, representing a 1.2 per cent drop in the full-time gainfully occupied population. There was also a drop of 389 people in the labour supply in comparison to August 2008.

Unemployment rose by 1,322 people, or 21.6 per cent. The jobless as of last August stood at 7,443. Jobs in the private sector went down by 401, a 0.4 per cent decrease. The private sector employed 103,896 people on full-time basis in August 2009.

The public sector saw a fall of 1,310 workers, a 3.1 per cent drop in the 12-month period to August last year.

Full-time employment in hotels and restaurants dropped by 636.

In the 12 months to August, part-time employment increased by 1,647, with nearly half having a part-time job as their main employment. The increase was mainly in education (517) and wholesale and retail (391).