In the fourth quarter last year, Labour Force Survey estimates indicate an increase in employment over the corresponding quarter of 2009.
The number of employed persons during the fourth quarter of 2010 was estimated at 163,123 amounting to 47 per cent of persons aged 15 and over. The number of unemployed persons stood at 11,978 (3 per cent), and the number of inactive persons stood at 175,067 (50 per cent).
Of all persons within the 15-64 age bracket, 60 per cent were active, with the highest activity rates being recorded in the 25-54 age bracket for both sexes.
The employment rate for the fourth quarter of last year was estimated at 56 per cent, with the highest rates being recorded for persons aged 25-54.
Just over 30 per cent of employed persons were engaged in wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants, and transport, storage and communication sectors. Moreover, they were mostly engaged in service-oriented jobs, including occupations such as hairdressers, waiters and salespersons. Service-oriented occupations prevailed among female workers (22 per cent), while men were mostly engaged in craft-related jobs (17 per cent).
In terms of professional status, self-employed persons accounted for nearly 14 per cent of the total work force. In general, the majority of employed persons, 143,238, or 88 per cent were working on a full-time basis. On the other hand, 19,885 were engaged in part-time jobs, or full-time with reduced hours.
During the period under review, the average gross annual salary of employees was estimated at €14,448. This amount refers to the basic salary and excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances, as explained in the methodological notes. The highest average salary for employees by main occupation was for legislators, senior officials and managerial occupations, as expected.
The unemployment rate for the period under review was estimated at 6.8 per cent. On a gender basis, the share of unemployed males stood at 7.0 per cent, while that for females stood at 6.5 per cent.
The largest share of unemployed persons was recorded in the 15-24 age group (Table 17). Within the unemployed population, 49 per cent stated that they had been seeking work for 12 months or more.