In the third quarter of 2006, there was a statistically significant change in average employment, while unemployment levels did not change in a statistically significant manner when compared to the same period in 2005, according to National Statistics Office figures released yesterday.

Labour status

The number of people in employment reached 153,692 in the third quarter of 2006. This implied a statistically significant change in average employment levels when compared to the same period in 2005.

The number of unemployed, which averaged 11,129 during the period under review, involved no statistically significant change when compared to the same months of the previous year. The number of inactive people was estimated at 160,742.

The estimates for July to September 2006 show that of all those aged between 15 and 64 years, 59.6 per cent were in the labour force and 55.5 per cent were employed. The unemployment rate is estimated to have averaged 6.8 per cent.

For the third quarter of 2006, the largest proportion of the total employed were aged between 25 and 34, with the average age for employed men being 39 years and that for women being calculated at 34.

The largest proportion of employed, or 17.2 per cent, worked in the manufacturing sector, while a further 15.8 per cent worked in the wholesale and retail trade. A statistically significant increase was registered in the wholesale and retail trade sector, in line with rises in the number of service workers, shop and sales workers. By contrast, there was a statistically significant drop in manufacturing sector employment between the period under review and the comparative period in 2005, corroborated by falls in the number of plant and machine operators. There was a significant rise in the total number of employees during July- September 2006 and the same period in the previous year. Additionally, a significant increase in the number of those employed full-time was recorded. Further comparisons reveal a significant increase in the number of people working in the private sector.

Labour Force Survey results indicate no statistically significant changes in the number of unemployed during the survey period compared to 2005, with the majority of those unemployed being in the 15 to 24 age bracket, irrespective of gender. Additionally, the distribution of unemployed by duration remained unchanged over the comparative period in 2005.