Registered full-time employment increased by 5.3% in December while part-time employment as a primary job increased by 2.6% when compared to the same month in 2016.

Administrative data provided by Jobsplus show that, over a period of one year, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 4.9%, reaching 197,441.

This was mainly attributed to a year on year increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (9,900) and a decline in registered unemployment (745).

In December 2017, administrative and support service activities and arts, entertainment and recreation, contributed mostly to the increase in employment with 2,033 and 1,125 respectively, compared to December 2016.

Registered full-time employment in the private sector went up by 8,690 persons to 148,747. Public sector full-time employment increased by 1,210 persons to 46,527.

The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 783 when compared to December 2016, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 9,117. Full-time employment for males and females went up by 4.1% and 7.3% respectively over 2016 levels.

Registered part-time employment in December 2017 went up by 5.4% 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 motor cycles.

Administrative and support services activities registered a drop of 396 when compared to December 2016.

The number of part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 26,070 up by 9.4% when compared to the corresponding month in 2016. Employed persons whose part-time job was their primary occupation totalled 35,203, up by 2.6% when compared to 2016.