December unemployment rate remains stable at 4.5%, at par with previous month

December 2020’s unemployment rate for Malta stood at 4.5 per cent, at par with the previous month and 0.9 percentage points more than December 2019, according to the National Statistics Office.

The unemployment rate refers to unemployed persons (15 to 74 years) as a percentage of the labour force (15 to 74 years).

During the month under review, the number of unemployed persons was 12,490, with the unemployed males and the 25 to 74 age group being the major contributors to the overall level of unemployment.

The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed youths amounted to 3,296, whereas those aged between 25 and 74 stood at 9,194.

In December 2020, the unemployment rate for males was 4.6 per cent, at par with the previous month. The rate for females stood at 4.4 per cent, 0.1 percentage points less than November 2020 estimates.

The unemployment rate for persons aged 15 to 24 years (youth unemployment rate) was 11.0 per cent, while the rate for those between 25 and 74 years old stood at 3.8 per cent.