8,420 seeking work

There were 8,420 registered unemployed with the Emloyment and Training Corporation last March, the National Statistics Office said.

Of these 7,746 were registering under Part 1, while 674 were registering under Part 2 of the unemployment register.

The registered unemployment rate stood at 5.8 per cent of the labour supply.

The registered unemployment rate for men stood at 6.5 per cent, whereas that for women was 4.2 per cent.

Those registering under Part 1 are either new job seekers who have left school, re-entrants into the labour market, and job losers who have been made redundant by their employer.

Those registering under Part 2 are either workers who have been dismissed from work due to disciplinary action, left work out of their own free will, refused work or training opportunities or were struck off the register after an inspection by law enforcement staff.

The NSO said that in March, the number of full-time gainfully occupied increased by 145 persons.

Over a period of 12 months, from March 2003 to March 2004, the full-time gainfully occupied population dropped by 1,590 persons.

In the month under review, employment in the private direct production sector increased by 82 persons in comparison to February 2004.

In relation to the same month in the previous year, the number of full-time gainfully occupied in the production sector decreased by 1,353 persons.

On the other hand, the manufacturing sector increased by 43 jobs within its fold in March 2004.

The private market services sector increased its employment levels by 122 persons in March this year in comparison to February 2004.

There was an increase of 489 persons employed in the private market services sector on a year-to-year basis.

The hotels and catering establishments increased 26 full-time employed persons during March. The wholesale and retail trade sub-sector increased 75 persons in its full-time employment complement over the previous month.

In March this year, the public sector decreased 53 employees from its books. On a year-to-year basis, public sector employment went down by 641 employees.

During the month under review, there were 18,896 persons holding part-time employment as their primary occupation. On the other hand, there were 15,434 persons who held a part-time job in addition to their full-time employment.

4,159 persons whose part-time employment is their primary occupation work in hotels and catering establishments.

3,049 persons whose part-time employment is their primary occupation work in the wholesale and retail trade. Government departments employ 1,721 part-timers whose part-time job is their primary occupation.