Around one in five people in employment who in 2023 lived in Gozo had to commute to Malta for work, according to national data.

The National Statistics Office on Wednesday said the number of employed people who worked in Malta exceeded the total number of workers who resided on the island.

This was because around 4,066 people who lived in Gozo commuted to Malta for work, amounting to approximately one out of every five employed people resident in the Gozo.

In 2023, Malta residents who worked on a full-time basis totalled 264,228 - an increase of 7.8 per cent when compared to 2022. The private sector amounted to 82.7 per cent of the total, while the remaining worked in the public sector.

Gozo and Comino residents with a full-time job meanwhile totalled 18,563, reflecting an increase of 4.9 per cent when compared to 2022. The private sector accounted for 67.3 per cent of the total.

The highest proportion of employed people in Malta worked in wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; accommodation and food service activities.

Meanwhile, the majority of employed people resident in Gozo and Comino worked in the public administration and defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities.