The latest Labour Force Survey shows a substantial increase in the number of unemployed, which reflects the lack of job opportunities in the country, said opposition MP Karl Chircop yesterday.

Dr Chircop said the situation was compounded by the fact that the Nationalist government had no adequate solutions to the problem which it created itself.

Dr Chircop said that last February more than 12,500 people were looking for work, which means that unemployment steadily crept up over the last 12 months.

He said that unemployment stood at 7.8 per cent, which reflects a 0.2 per cent increase over January figures.

Dr Chircop also said that according to the survey, the number of self-employed with employees in tow stood at 7,159 in February 2005, compared to 6,453 in February this year.

He said that the number of males without work increased by 350 to 7,094 while the number of jobless women increased dramatically by 1,570 to 5,467. “Female participation in the world of work also declined from 37.9 per cent in February 2005 to 36.3 per cent in 2006,” said Dr Chircop.

He said that this situation was prevalent despite the government’s attempts to offer fiscal incentives to women who want to work. “This means there are simply not enough opportunities for them,” said Dr Chircop.

Dr Chircop said that Maltese families were caught up in a vicious circle because they cannot find new job opportunities, but at the same time are having to cope with high inflation.