Malta: Unemployment register sheds 600 people in September

Registered unemployment stood at 3,385 in September, down from 3,672 the month before. Figures by the National Statistics Office show a decrease in people registering for employment across all age groups.

Compared with the same month last year, however, the unemployment register grew by more than double from 1,668. The year-on-year increase was observed among both women and men, and across all age groups.

Clerical support workers made up more than a quarter of the unemployment register in September, the highest share among job categories even if it decreased by 0.5 percentage points from August. Occupations in the Professionals category, on the other hand, registered the biggest month-on-month increase climbing to 9.9 percent of total unemployed.

The number of unemployed persons looking for work for up to 21 weeks stood at 1,534 in September, less than the 2,080 in August but more than twice the annual average for 2019. 605 people have been on the register for over a year, seven more than in August but 135 less than the annual average recorded last year.