Labour Force Survey estimates indicate an increase of 2.8 per cent in employment in the fourth quarter last year when compared to the same period in 2012, the National Statistics Office said.

The NSO said that during the period, total employment stood at 178,241, accounting for almost half the population aged 15 and over.

The unemployed numbered 12,131 (3.4 per cent) and inactive persons 170,556 (47.3 per cent).

The activity rate for the quarter under review was estimated at 65.3 per cent (Table 3).

When compared to the previous year, the activity rates among men and women increased by 2.3 and 1.1 percentage points respectively. The highest activity rate was recorded among persons aged 25-54 (79.3 per cent).

Out of every 100 persons aged 15-64, 61 were employed. The employment rate increased by 1.6 percentage points compared to the corresponding quarter in 2012. The highest employment rate was recorded among persons aged 25-54, at 75 per cent.

Self-employed persons accounted for 13.1 per cent of the total employed population. The majority of employed persons worked on a full-time basis and totalled 152,296.

An estimated 21,504 (12.1 per cent) had a part-time job as their primary employment. A further 4,441 were working full-time with reduced hours.

The average gross annual salary of employees for the fourth quarter was estimated at €16,022. This amount refers to the gross annual basic salary and excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances.

The highest average gross annual salary for employees was recorded in financial and insurance activities. Average annual salaries varied from €26,656 for managers to €10,747 for elementary staff.

Survey results estimate that the unemployment rate for the fourth quarter stood at 6.4 per cent. The largest share of unemployed persons was recorded among persons aged 25 and over. Among the unemployed, 45.4 per cent stated they had been seeking work for at least 12 months.