Malta’s registered unemployment increased by 160 persons in December 2024 compared to the same month in 2023, standing at 1,115 persons, according to latest NSO figures. This is in contrast to the same month in the previous year, which saw a drop of 91 persons compared to December 2022.
Of these unemployed, 66.8%, or 745, were male, while females comprised 33.2%, or 370. Unemployment increased in most age groups. Of particular significance is the fact that 113 more people registered for work for a period of less than 21 weeks, while 53 did so for between 21 to 52 weeks. There was, however, a small drop of six in the numbers of long-term unemployed, that is, for a period exceeding one year.
Encouragingly, there was a decrease in the number of persons with disabilities who registered for work by 11, coming to 220, out of which males made 75.5%. Clerical support occupations remained the highest on demand from job seekers as 26.7% of males and 39.2% of females were seeking such occupations.
Registered unemployment has been on an increasing trend despite stable overall unemployment standing at 3.0% as of December 2024, indicating that underlying unemployment problems in the labour market exist. A look at such inconsistency between an improved unemployment rate and an increasing one through registrations becomes imperative in defining causes at the root.
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