Labour market data for December 2005, provided by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC), indicate a fall of 379 persons in the labour supply over the same month in the preceding year. This fall was the result of an increase of 345 in the number of those gainfully occupied and a reduction of 724 on the unemployment register. In this way, the labour supply stood at 145,316 in December 2005. This was distributed as follows: the gainfully occupied population amounted to 137,937, whereas the registered unemployed amounted to 7,379.

Full-time employment within the private sector

The data on hand indicate that, as from December 2004 to December 2005, jobs within the private sector went up by 1,282 persons or 1.4 per cent. Accordingly, the private sector was found to be employing 92,820 persons on a full-time basis in December 2005.

Between December 2004 and December 2005, the following economic activities within the production sector reported growth in full-time employment: manufacturing of chemicals and chemical products 46 people and manufacturing of other non-metallic mineral products 43 people.

The main fall in terms of full-time employment over the same period occurred in the following economic activities: clothing manufacturing – 376 people; manufacturing of textiles – 346 people; manufacturing of footwear – 110; manufacturing of rubber and plastic products – 124. For its part, the construction sector reported an increase of 450 people in employment, when compared to the same month in the preceding year.

When it comes to services activities within the private sector, for the period from December 2004 to December 2005 the following economic activities reported an increase in terms of full-time employment: hotels and restaurants – 192 people; wholesale trade – 213 people; recreational, cultural, and sporting activities – 142 people. On the other hand, a decline in employment occurred in retail trade of 154 people.

For December 2005, the data indicates a fall of 214 apprentices/trainees in the private sector compared with the preceding year.

Full-time employment within the public sector

In December 2005, the public sector had 937 fewer people on its book than it had in the preceding year (-2.0 per cent). The main decline was registered in health – 292; construction/public works –169 and collection, purification and distribution of water – 135. In contrast, employment in the education sector grew by 150. All in all, the public sector was providing full-time employment for 45,117 people in December 2005.

Regional distribution of full-time employment

Specific data on Gozo for December 2005 indicates that most people in Gozo are employed in public administration, construction, education and health services.

Part-time employment

With regard to part-time employment, the ETC figures for December 2005 indicate that the total number of people with a part-time job rose by 3,887 over the same month in the preceding year. This figure translates into 2,152 people whose part-time job is their primary occupation and 1,735 whose part-time job is their secondary occupation. Altogether, there were 41,076 people who were employed in the peripheral labour market in December 2005.

In December 2005, the number of those with a part-time job as well as their full-time employment mainly increased in hotels and restaurants – 320 people; education – 160 people and wholesale trade – 134 people. Of those whose part-time job is their primary occupation, the main increases were in hotels and restaurants – 442 people; education – 158 people; health – 132 people and the manufacture of food products and beverages – 80 people.