Full-time employment increased by 4.3 per cent in March when compared to the corresponding month last year, the NSO said today.
Over a period of one year, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 3.1 per cent, reaching 174,030. This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (6,972) and a drop in registered unemployment (1,750)..
In March, administrative and support service activities contributed mostly to the increase in employment, compared to March 2014. Employment in the private sector went up by 6,431 persons to 124,077. Public sector full-time employment increased by 541 persons to 44,059.
The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 555 when compared to March 2014, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 6,417. Full-time employment for men and women went up by 3.3 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively over 2014 levels, the NSO said.
GOVERNMENT: GROWTH IS THREE TIMES THAT OF FORMER ADMINISTRATION
In a statement, the government said 12,750 full-time jobs were created in the past two years, almost 1,500 more that in the five years of the previous government. The growth rate, it said, was three times that of the former government.
Eight out of every 10 new jobs were in the private sector, and the public sector now accounted for 26.2% of total jobs compared to 26.7% under the former government.
800 new jobs were created in Gozo, six times the rate of the former government.
The government said it would be taking more measures to promote job-creation.