Labour market data for January 2006, provided by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC), indicate a drop of 247 persons in the labour supply over the same month in the preceding year, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

This drop was the result of an increase of 234 persons in the gainfully occupied population and a decrease of 481 persons on the unemployment register.

In this way, the labour supply stood at 145,494 in January 2006 as compared to 145,741 in January 2005. This was distributed as follows: the gainfully occupied population amounted to 137,795, whereas the registered unemployed amounted to 7,699.

Full-time employment within the private sector

The data on hand indicate that, as from January 2005 to January 2006 jobs within the private sector went up by 1,253 persons or 1.4 per cent. Accordingly, the private sector was found to be employing 92,808 persons on a full-time basis in January 2006.

Between January 2005 and January 2006, the following economic activities within the production sector reported growth in full-time employment: manufacturing of chemicals and chemical products (NACE 24) 51 persons; manufacturing of other non-metallic mineral products (NACE 26) 57 persons; and, manufacture of radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus (NACE 32) 48 persons.

On the other hand, the main drop in terms of full-time employment over the same period occurred in the following economic activities: clothing manufacturing (NACE 18) –382 persons; manufacturing of textiles (NACE 17) –524 persons; manufacturing of footwear (NACE 19) –90 persons; manufacturing of rubber and plastic products (NACE 25) –120 persons.

On its part, the construction sector reported an increase of 481 persons in employment when compared to the same month in the preceding year. When it comes to services activities within the private sector, from January 2005 to January 2006, the following economic activities reported an increase in terms of full-time employment: hotels and restaurants (NACE 55) 40 persons; wholesale trade (NACE 51) 229 persons; recreational, cultural, and sporting activities (NACE 92) 145 persons. On the other hand, a decline in employment occurred in retail trade (NACE 52) –169 persons.

For January 2006, the data on hand indicates that a drop of 228 apprentices/trainees occurred within the private sector over the preceding year.

Full-time employment within the public sector

In January 2006, the public sector had 1,019 persons less than what it had on its books in the preceding year. The main decline was registered in construction/public works (NACE 45) –178 persons; water transport (NACE 61) –143 persons; and, the collection, purification and distribution of water (NACE 41) –137 persons.

All in all, the public sector was providing full-time employment for 44,987 persons in January 2006.

Regional distribution of full-time employment

Regional data for January 2006 indicates that Gozitan private sector full-time employment is largely found in hotels and restaurants (13.7 per cent); retail trade (12.9 per cent); construction (10.6 per cent); agriculture (5.5 per cent); and wholesale trade (5.1 per cent). The data for the island of Malta indicates that private sector full-time employment is mainly found in wholesale trade (9.9 per cent); retail trade (9.5 per cent); hotels and restaurants (8.5 per cent); construction (8.4 per cent); the sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (3.8 per cent); and, manufacture of food products and beverages (3.8 per cent).

Part-time employment

With regard to part-time employment, the ETC figures for January 2006 indicate that the total number of persons with a part-time job went up by 3,568 over the same month in the preceding year.

This global figure translates into 2,230 persons whose part-time job is their primary occupation and 1,338 persons whose part-time job is their secondary occupation. All in all, there were 40,860 persons who had a job in the peripheral labour market in January 2006.

In January 2006, persons holding a part-time job in addition to their full-time employment mainly increased in hotels and restaurants (NACE 55) 330 persons; retail trade (NACE 52) 112 persons; wholesale trade (NACE 51) 139 persons; and fishing and fish farming (NACE 05) 109 persons. In contrast, the following economic activities reported a drop in part-timers whose part-time employment is their secondary occupation: education services (NACE 80) –351 persons and manufacture of rubber and plastic products (NACE 25) –33 persons.

When it comes to those persons whose part-time job is their primary occupation, the main increases were in hotels and restaurants (NACE 55) 339 persons; education (NACE 80) 54 persons; health (NACE 85) 183 persons; and manufacturing of food products and beverages (NACE 15) 83 persons. On the other hand, persons holding a part-time job in the manufacturing of rubber and plastic products (NACE 25) as their primary occupation dropped by 41 persons.