Total employment stood at 260,827 between January and March this year, an increase of more than 13,500 compared to the first quarter last year. The Labour Force Survey published by the National Statistics office estimates at 75 percent of people aged between 16 and 64 were employed.
Just over 220.300 were registered as employees, accounting to 85 percent of the population in employment. Self-employed without employees numbered slightly below 28,200 while 12,178 were self-employed with employees.
The share of unemployed in the workforce decreased to 2.1 percent from 2.2 percent during the same period the previous year, and the number stood at 9,006 in 2020. Persons who are neither active in the labour market nor unemployed, increased by 11,050 from last year and numbered 432,489. The share of inactive people, however, decreased from 39.1 to 37.6 over the same period.
Men registered a higher rate of employment than women across all age groups, but the greatest contrast was observed between the 55-64 group and the 15-24 group. While women make a third of the oldest age bracket, the lowest share, they constitute 47 percent of the younger bracket, the highest share.
Retail trade, transportation, accommodation, and food service is the largest economic activity in terms of employment, engaging more than 72,000 people or 27.6 percent of the entire workforce. Another 62,800 are employed in public administration, defence, education, health, and social work. At the other end, the sectors employing the least people are agriculture and fishing activities (2,572) and real estate activities (2,311).
Over a third of women are employed in public administration, defence, education, health, and social work, outnumbering men by more than 11,600. There are also more women than men in financial and insurance activities as well as in uncategorised services. There are 13,051 women working in professional, scientific technical administration and support services, only 36 fewer than men.
Three in ten men are engaged in retail trade, transportation, accommodation, and food service while financial and insurance activities attract them the least, with around four percent of men working in this category.
