4.2% increase in registered employment in May

In May 2015, registered full-time employment increased by 4.2 per cent when compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, while registered part-time employment as a primary job rose by 3.9 per cent.

Administrative data provided by the ETC show that over a period of one year, the labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 2.9 per cent, reaching 174,437. This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (6,804) and a drop in registered unemployment (1,808).

In May, administrative and support service activities (NACE 77-82) contributed mostly to the increase in employment, compared to May 2014. This change is partly influenced by shifts in employment from NACE 35 to NACE 78 as explained in note 9 of the methodological notes.

Registered full-time employment in the private sector went up by 6,421 persons to 125,087. Public sector full-time employment increased by 383 persons to 44,017.

Persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 630 when compared to May 2014, while persons registered as employees increased by 6,174. Full-time employment for males and females went up by 3.2 per cent and 5.9 per cent respectively over 2014 levels.

Registered part-time employment in May 2015 went up by 4.7 per cent when compared to a year earlier. The sectors that contributed most to the overall increase were wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles (NACE 45-47, 389 persons) followed by public administration and defence, compulsory social security (NACE 84, 293 persons).

Part-timers who also held a full-time job amounted to 23,609, up by 6.0 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2014. Employed persons whose part-time job was their primary occupation totalled 34,400, up by 3.9 per cent or 1,276 persons when compared to 2014.