The number of registered unemployed dropped by 8.7 per cent over the past year, according to official statistics.

The jobless now total 6,013 in Malta and 683 in Gozo.

Men still make up the bulk of job-seekers, with 5,281 registering, most of who are over 45, National Statistics Office (NSO) figures show. The number of those registering for under 20 weeks dropped by eight per cent over the year while those who had been registering for under a year went down by 22.5 per cent.

Figures for October 2010 show unemployment increased by 0.6 per cent over the previous month, which the NSO said was accounted for by a rise in the number of women registering for work.

In May, the registered unemployment rate stood at 4.6 per cent of the labour supply, down from five per cent in April and 4.8 per cent in May of last year. The rate for males was 5.4 per cent; that for females three per cent. The long-term unemployment stood at 1.7 per cent and there were more young people (5.4 per cent) looking for work than over-45s (4.9 per cent).