The latest Labour Force Survey estimates indicate an increase in employment during the third quarter of last year, over the corresponding quarter of 2009.
Labour status – During the third quarter of 2010, the number of employed persons was estimated at 165,152 (47 per cent), the number of unemployed persons stood at 12,054 (4 per cent), while inactive persons numbered 172,442 (49 per cent).
Of all persons between 15-64, 61 per cent were active, with the highest activity rates recorded in the 25-54 age group for both sexes.
The employed population – The largest share of employed men were engaged in manufacturing activities (18 per cent), followed by 16 per cent in the wholesale and retail trade sector. Among the female employed population, 16 per cent worked in education-related activities, and an additional 14 per cent were employed in wholesale and retail trade.
In general, employed persons were mostly engaged in service-oriented jobs. This category includes occupations such as hairdressers, waiters and salespersons. Service-oriented occupations were predominant among female workers (22 per cent), whereas men were mostly engaged in craft- related jobs (17 per cent).
The majority of employed persons (144,131), were working on a full-time basis. On the other hand, an estimated 21,021 were engaged in part-time jobs or were working on full-time with reduced hours. In terms of professional status, self-employed persons accounted for 14 per cent of the total work force whereas employees comprised 86 per cent of total employed.
During the period under review, the average gross annual salary of employees was estimated at €14,466. This amount refers to the basic salary and excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances, as explained in the methodological notes. On a sectoral basis, the highest average gross annual salary for employees was recorded in the financial intermediation sector, while the highest average salary by main occupation was recorded among legislators, senior officials and managerial occupations.
The unemployed population – The unemployment rate for the third quarter of 2010 was estimated at 6.8 per cent. The rate for males was 6.9 per cent whereas the female unemployment rate was 6.6 per cent. Within the unemployed population, 52 per cent stated that they had been seeking work for 12 months or more.