Malta's unemployment rate in May was one of the lowest in the EU, falling sharply over the past 12 months, according to statistics issued by Eurostat.

The island's positive figures contrast sharply with the rest of the EU where unemployment levels in May remained at record highs, reaching 10 per cent in the 16-member eurozone and 9.7 per cent on average in the EU 27.

Fewer unemployed women contributed to Malta's positive results.

According to the EU's statistical arm, the number of women looking for a job in the previous year dropped to 6.7 per cent last May, down from 7.8 per cent in May 2009.

On the other hand, the unemployment rate among youths, the under-25 bracket and males remained stable at 14.9 and 6.7 per cent respectively.

On a national level, the unemployment rate in Malta decreased from 7.1 to 6.7 per cent in the past 12 months.

The job situation in the rest of the EU is bleak, with the exception of Austria, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, which are the only EU member states with lower unemployment figures than Malta.

According to Eurostat, in the EU 27, the average unemployment rate rose to 9.7 from 8.9 per cent in the past 12 months. The highest rates in May were recorded in Latvia (20 per cent), Spain (19.9 per cent) and Estonia (19 per cent).

Compared to a year ago, only five member states recorded a drop in the unemployment rate, including Malta.