The National Statistics Office has just issued the latest data on unemployment, showing that it had declined by 157 persons over a period of 12 months. However, this does not include those who found a job without actually registering for work, either through other means, such as looking up jobs on newspapers, finding jobs through word of mouth, or those who were approached directly by employers or those who set up their own business. In fact, the most recent data on the gainfully occupied (September 2016) shows that over a period of 12 months, full-time employment for Gozitans increased by 477 persons. It must also be mentioned that most of these new jobs have been created in the private sector, which we believe should remain the main engine of growth in Gozo. It is because of this that we have continued to offer our support to private initiatives.
What often make the headlines are the overall unemployment figures. However, having detailed information is of utmost importance to policy makers. What lies behind the headline figures is at least as important as the headline itself, because it is only in this way that proper policy measures can be formulated. For example, it is important to look at the age of those registering as this is often linked to their capabilities, skills, and potential to learn new skills. Age is also an indicator for expectations, as different age groups have different expectations from life and feel that they cannot find a job on their own or that Jobsplus (on which such data is based) is the best possibility to find them an appropriate job for their skills and needs. Some are only looking for a part-time job rather than a full-time one, perhaps because they only have some hours to spare during the week due to other commitments they may already have.
If we look at the figures, we see that in Gozo there were 521 people registering for work - 187 women and 334 men. Of these, 497 were registering under Part 1, while 24 were under Part 2. Under Part I, there are either people who are new job seekers having just left school, or those who are re-entering the labour market, or those who had been made redundant by their former employers. Part II includes those who left work, either because they wanted to or because they were dismissed due to disciplinary action. When one looks at the ages of those registering for work, there were 23 under the age of 20, 42 aged between 20-24, 55 aged between 25-29, 215 aged between 30-44, and 186 aged over 45. This indicates that the heaviest concentration (401 persons) is those aged over 30.
At this stage, one must reflect what it means to be unemployed. Involuntary unemployment, especially if it is long-term, de-skills the person, making it also impossible for him or her to return to the labour force. It also impinges negatively on an emotional level, making the individual vulnerable, with a sense of incompleteness. Thus, the policy maker's aim should be to reduce the number of involuntary involvement as much as possible. However, having said that there is a number of people who are in between jobs, i.e. they are unemployed only for a short period of time. There are also those whose skills are not in demand and therefore training is needed to equip these people with new skills.
This government is committed to see that all those people who want to work will find work. It is also committed to provide training to give new skills to those people who may not possess the skills needed for today's jobs. It has helped job seekers as well as facilitating the exchange of information, making it easier for employers and the unemployed to find each other.
Gozo is also changing and the jobs it is creating and will create with the new investments will mean even more employment opportunities. The figures quoted above cannot be disputed and are clear evidence that Labour is working also for Gozo. Let us not forget from where we started. The situation in Gozo was so bad in terms of employment that it was natural to assume that if one wanted to find productive work, he or she needed to look beyond the island. In just four years, the situation has been turned around, with unemployment at a record low. This is also what makes us proud.
Dr Refalo is Minister for Gozo