MaltaMedia.com

The National Statistics Office (NSO) said that in March 2012 there were 6,966 persons registering for work, an increase of 304, or 4.6 per cent, over the corresponding month last year.

Records provided by the Employment and Training Corporation show that during March the number of persons registering as unemployed in Malta and Gozo, stood at 6,236 and 730 persons respectively. Accordingly, in the twelve-month period to March, the number of registered unemployed increased on the mainland, while that for Gozo remained at par with the previous year.

The number of persons registering under Part 1 of the unemployment register increased by 297 (5.0 per cent), while those registering under Part 2 edged up by 7 persons (1.0 per cent). There were 5,433 men and 1,533 women registering for work during the month under review.
Unemployment among men went up by 137, or 2.6 per cent, while female unemployment increased by 167, or 12.2 per cent. Unemployed persons aged 45 and over increased by 10.1 per cent between March 2011 and March 2012. Unemployment among young persons aged under 25 decreased slightly.
When compared to March 2011, NSO showed that the number of persons registering for work for more than one year remained unchanged, while persons who were registering for less than 21 weeks increased by 177, or 6.2 per cent.

Persons with a disability registering under Part 1 of the unemployment register numbered 466. In line with past trends, the largest share of unemployed men were seeking occupations in services, sales and crafts, whereas women mostly sought clerical jobs.

In November, the registered unemployment rate stood at 4.2 per cent of the labour supply (excluding part-timers): 5.0 per cent for men and 2.7 per cent for women. This rate stood at 4.5 per cent among persons aged 45 and over, and 5.1 per cent for persons aged less than 25.

The unemployment rate of persons who had been registering for work for at least one year under Part 1 of the unemployment register stood at 1.5 per cent: 1.9 per cent for men and 0.7 per cent for women, NSO concluded.