Most of the almost 1,000 people struck off the unemployment register last year had failed to prove they were actively trying to find a job.

Data tabled in Parliament showed that 969 applicants were taken off the list last year.

JobsPlus chairman Clyde Caruana told Times of Malta those on the register had fortnightly meetings with JobsPlus officials, and if they were not trying hard enough to secure job interviews, they were immediately struck off the list.

“The majority of the people we removed last year failed to provide evidence that they were looking for work. We expect them to submit at least five CVs a month,” Mr Caruana said.

While adamant that the agency was on the lookout for those trying to abuse the system and making sure the agency was not “taken for a ride”, Mr Caruana noted that exceptions were made when it was evident an effort was indeed being made.

“Sometimes, you get those who are really trying and so we take that into consideration. We decide on a case-by-case basis, but the minute we find out that someone is trying to cheat the system, we drop them,” Mr Caruana said.

There was also a small number of applicants who were removed after refusing training or job opportunities, often because they were doing other work on the side and still claiming benefits, he said. These too were taken off the register the minute they were caught.

The figure was slightly higher in 2015, with 990 names being struck off. Mr Caruana said the increase in employment rates over the past year played a part in this.

Apart from those who were struck off, 3,700 asked to be removed from the register themselves. This was much lower than the previous year’s 7,163.

The latest JobsPlus data shows that the number of people registering for work in May stood at 2,502, compared to 3,511 in the same month last year.

According to the data, almost one in every five men and two in five women on the unemployment register sought work as clerical support workers, making the sector the most sought after among the jobless.