During the third quarter of 2008 the number of employed persons stood at 162,954, which is a statistically significant change over the corresponding period in 2007. The number of unemployed persons was estimated to be 10,113 whereas the number of inactive persons was calculated to be 172,672.

During the period under review, 59.6 per cent of persons between 15 and 64 were either working or unemployed (activity rate). Amongst males the highest activity rates were recorded in the 25 to 54 age bracket whereas amongst females the highest rates were in the 15 to 24 age group.

The Employed Population

Amongst the total employed males, 18.4 per cent were engaged in manufacturing activities, followed by a further 15.7 per cent in the sector of wholesale and retail trade. By contrast, most females were employed in education-related activities (16.3 per cent) with an additional 14.3 per cent in the wholesale and retail trade sector.

In terms of occupational distribution, employed persons were mostly engaged within service oriented jobs. The category includes occupations such as hairdressers, policemen and salespersons.

The number of self-employed during the third quarter of 2008 was estimated to make up 13.7 per cent of employed persons. In terms of type of employment, the number of full-time employed persons was calculated at 143,662, or 88.2 per cent of total employed persons. Females are more likely to have a part-time or full-time job with reduced hours and in this regard, 26.9 per cent of employed females had such a working pattern.

The Unemployed Population

Between 2007 and 2008 there was a statistically insignificant change in the number of unemployed. Most of the unemployed were between 15 and 24. Amongst unemployed females the majority had been looking for a job for less than 5 months whereas most males were unemployed for 12 months or more. The unemployment rate for the period under review stood at 5.8 per cent.