The care sector represented a notable share of the workforce in 2023, accounting for 19.8% of all persons employed. The sector encompasses a wide group of professions that include health and social services and education. However, the latest figures published by the NSO highlight many discrepancies and problems which this very important sector faces.
The care sector in Malta is predominantly female; 32.7% of the employed females were working in this sector compared to only 10.9% for men. So, women are three times more likely to be employed in care positions than their male counterparts. Substantial number of women presence still has large gaps in terms of pay disparities. In 2023, the average annual earnings gap for women in care occupations was €7,622 compared to men. This disparity underlines the wage inequality issues that need to be taken seriously by policymakers and industry leaders.
The majority of care workers have attained higher education, with over 50% having tertiary qualifications. That represents 24.9% more than in the non-care workforce, showing that care is both a highly professional and skilled work. Care workers are also significantly more likely to work shifts – 10.9% higher than for workers in non-care roles. The demanding nature of care roles also means that employees are often asked to work flexible and longer hours to meet patients’ and clients’ needs.
Foreign nationals play an important role in Malta’s care workforce, particularly in support roles. A staggering 48.8% of the foreign care workers were service and sales workers. On the other hand, there is a significant wage gap between Maltese and foreign care workers. In 2023, the average gross annual salary for foreign care workers stood at €27,586, which is €2,649 less compared to their Maltese counterparts. This creates a discrepancy, therefore, with questions of equal pay, where policies should be put in place to ensure that workers are treated without bias regarding nationality.
Unpaid care work is one of the major determinants in employment, especially for females. In 2023, 37.9% of non-working females cited family responsibilities as the main reason for their employment status – a far contrast from the percentage reported among males. Such inequality in responsibilities for unpaid care would often tend to restrict the opportunities for paid work and careers that women might have. Supportive measures against this should be taken-including access to cheaper childcare, and sharing of domestic responsibilities.
Care in Malta is an integral part of the economy and overall welfare, and NSO statistics for 2023 underpin some elements where corrective attention would be called for: increased transparency and pay equity between genders, adequate compensation for those not from Malta, assistance with proper child care – this translates into a more successful function of family obligations and becomes one of the urgent directions to support the principles of inclusive sustainability regarding care within the country.
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