Labour market data for November 2005, provided by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC), indicate a decrease of 368 people in the labour supply over the same month in the preceding year, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.
This decrease was the result of an increase of 564 in the numbers of those gainfully occupied and a reduction of 932 on the unemployment register, said the NSO.
Therefore, the labour supply stood at 145,605 in November 2005. This was distributed as follows: the gainfully occupied population amounted to 138,412, whereas the registered unemployed amounted to 7,193.
The data on hand indicate that, from November 2004 to November 2005, the number of jobs in the private sector rose by 1,467 or 1.6 per cent. Accordingly, the private sector was found to be employing 93,219 people on a full-time basis in November 2005.
The following economic activities in the production sector reported the main growth for full-time employment: manufacturing of chemicals and chemical products, 91 people, and fabrication of metal products (NACE 28) 48 people. On the other hand, the main fall in terms of full-time employment in the productive sector occurred in the following economic activities: clothing manufacturing – 380 people; manufacturing of textiles – 165 people; manufacturing of footwear –111; manufacturing of rubber and plastic products – 120.
The construction sector reported an increase of 447 in the number of people employed compared to the same month in the previous year.
As far as services activities in the private sector are concerned, from November 2004 to November 2005, the following economic activities reported an increase in terms of full-time employment: hotels and restaurants – 197 people; wholesale trade – 189 people; recreational, cultural, and sporting activities – 149 people. On the other hand, there was a fall of 113 in the number of people employed in the retail trade.
For November 2005, the data to hand indicate that there was a fall of 212 apprentices/trainees in the private sector compared with the previous year.
In November 2005, the public sector had 903 fewer people on its books than it had in the previous year (-2 per cent). The main decline was registered in health – 276; construction/public works –166 and the collection, purification and distribution of water – 128. In contrast, employment in the education sector grew by 176.
All in all, the public sector was providing full-time employment for 45,193 people in November 2005.
A comparison of the data on Malta and Gozo for November 2005, reveals that the share of construction, health, education, public administration, hotels and restaurants, and agriculture in the creation of work in Gozo is more accentuated than it is in Malta.
With regard to part-time employment, ETC figures for November 2005 indicate that the total number of people with a part-time job rose by 3,826 over the same month in the previous year. This figure translates into 2,265 people whose part-time job is their primary occupation and 1,561 whose part-time job is their secondary occupation. All in all, a total of 41,150 people had a job in the peripheral labour market in November 2005.
In November 2005, the number of people with a part-time job in addition to their full-time employment mainly increased in hotels and restaurants – 408 people; education – 161 people; and wholesale trade – 116 people.
As far as people whose part-time job is their primary occupation are concerned, the main increase occurred in hotels and restaurants – 572 people; education – 174 people; health – 144 people and manufacturing of food products and beverages – 75 people.