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In the second quarter of 2011 Labour Force Survey estimates indicated an increase in employment over the corresponding quarter of 2010.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) said that the number of employed persons during the second quarter this year, was estimated at 168,222, up by 2.7 per cent over last year. During the same period, the number of unemployed persons stood at 12,069, while inactive persons stood at 174,354, amounting to 3 per cent and 49 per cent of the total population aged 15 and over respectively.

Just over 60 per cent of persons within the 15-64 age group were active. The highest activity rates among men and women were recorded in the 25-54 age group.

NSO said that the employment rate for the second quarter was estimated at 57 per cent, with the highest rates being recorded among persons aged between 25 and 54, for both sexes. The largest share of employed men (32 per cent) were engaged in the following sectors: wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and household goods; hotels and restaurants; and transport and communication. On the other hand, most of the female employed population, 46 per cent, worked in other service activities.

Employed persons were mostly engaged in service-oriented jobs followed by technical and associate professional occupations. Service-oriented occupations prevailed among female workers (21 per cent), while 16 per cent of men were engaged in craft-related jobs.

In terms of professional status, self-employed persons accounted for nearly 14 per cent of the total work force. The majority of employed persons, 146,328 (87 per cent) were working on a full-time basis. Another 21,894 were either working on full-time with reduced hours or had a part-time job as their main occupation.

During the period under review, the average gross annual salary of employees was estimated at €15,016. This amount refers to the basic salary and excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances, as explained in the methodological notes. On a sectoral basis, the highest average gross annual salary for employees was recorded in financial, real estate, renting and business activities. Legislators, senior officials and managerial occupations were the highest income earners, with an average income of €24,087 per person.

The unemployment rate for the period under review was estimated at 6.7 per cent, with 6.5 per cent for males and 7.0 per cent for females.

The largest share of unemployed persons was recorded in the 15-24 age group. Within the unemployed population, 49 per cent stated that they had been seeking work for 12 months or more.