Malta hosting over 42,000 foreign workers employed across all industries

From the EU alone, 29,660 nationals were registered for work in Malta with the most popular industry being the arts, entertainment and recreation industry

Data on the industries that foreigners working in Malta are employed in, appear to prove a number of popular beliefs while busting some other equally popular myths, MaltaToday has confirmed.

It is true that Italians are mostly employed in accommodation and catering and that many Filipinos work within the healthcare industry or with private households.

But it is equally not true that all the Swedes in Malta have a job in the iGaming industry; many of them work in the professional and scientific fields. And while it turns out that there are, indeed, many Serbs working in the catering industry, the vast majority of Serbs in Malta actually work in construction.

EU nationals

A total of 29,660 EU nationals were registered for work in Malta by the end of last year, with the most popular industry being the arts, entertainment and recreation industry.

In fact, this industry employs a total of 5,214 EU nationals, a direct consequence of the growth of the iGaming sector.

Out of the 1,359 Swedes who were registered as working in Malta, 667 were listed as employed in arts and entertainment. Another 219 were employed in professional, scientific and technical activities, while a further 115 were employed in administrative and support service activities.

But although Italians are the most numerous, the majority were employed in the accommodation and food service – a total of 1,473. The majority of Hungarians working in Malta were also employed in this sector, at 530 out of 1,592.

651 out of the 2,439 workers from Bulgaria in Malta were employed in the accommodation and food services industry. A significant number, 351, were registered in admin-istration and support while another 285 were working in construction. Manufacturing is also popular with Bulgarians, as 240 were registered as employed in this sector.

Arts and entertainment is also popular among the French and Finnish, with 280 and 261 being employed in this sector respectively. Out of the 1,090 French workers registered in Malta, 155 were employed in professional and technical jobs while another 135 were employed in administration and support.

EEA and EFTA

Out of the 246 Norwegians employed in Malta, 151 work in the arts and entertain-ment industry – further highlighting the growth of the iGaming sector.

People from Switzerland who worked in Malta – around 94 – were spread among the arts, professional, administrative, financial, and accommodation and food industries in similar numbers.

Only 17 workers from Iceland were registered to be working in Malta, in eight different industry groups.

Third country nationals

A total of 12,407 workers were registered as third country nationals, with the largest share being Filipinos and Serbs at 2,413 and 2,329 respectively.

Workers from the Philippines were mostly employed in the most popular industry group in this category – administrative and support service activities, at 1,011. A further 544 were employed in human health and social work services, and another 330 were employed within households.

Serbs were also mostly employed in administrative and support jobs at 858, while 444 were working in the construction industry and 422 were employed in accommodation and catering.

A significant number of workers, a total of 468, came from Macedonia. 170 were employed in administrative jobs while 127 worked in accommodation and catering.

The most popular industry group for Indians employed in Malta – a total of 922 – was human health and social work, at 456. A further 157 were employed in construction.

Libyans were more evenly spread out through all industry groups, totalling to 414, with the most popular industry group being wholesale and retail trade, at 76. Another 58 were employed in construction and a further 55 were employed as professionals or in technical jobs.