Failing to sign the unemployment register on time was reason enough for the authorities to strike off more than 1,000 people in under a year.

They form part of the 1,353 individuals who were registering for work in August last year but were subsequently struck off the register even though they had not yet found work.

A spokesman for the Employment and Training Corporation said almost half of those claiming unemployment in summer 2014 had been struck off the register.

“Most of those removed, about 1,079, had failed to sign the register on time without giving a sufficient reason,” he added.

Other reasons for striking people off the register included finding a job but failing to inform the ETC, declaring one was no longer interested in working and reaching retirement age. The information on the number of jobless who were struck off despite not finding work emerged in a reply to questions tabled in Parliament by shadow finance minister Mario de Marco.

The figures also showed that 1,532 people seeking a job in August 2014 had found work by April the following year.

Unemployment rates have dropped significantly over the last two years, hitting 3.2 per cent in August. The government says that this is a reflection of a growing economy and the creation of more jobs.

While acknowledging the availability of more jobs as being the result of higher economic activity, the Opposition has accused the government of indiscriminately striking off people from the unemployment register to be able to report lower figures.

The government denies this, insisting that abuse will not be tolerated.