One in five Gozitans commutes to Malta for work

Malta's total workforce reached 326,678 employed persons in 2024, marking a 3.7% increase compared to the previous year, statistics from the NSO have revealed.

The data shows that the Malta region accounts for 93.2% of employment by place of residence and 94.9% by place of work, highlighting the concentration of jobs on the main island.

A significant finding shows that approximately one in five employed persons living in Gozo work in the Malta region, with 4,935 commuters making the journey in 2024. From these commuters, 54.7% are male.

The employment figures show distinct patterns between the two regions. Whilst the Malta region saw more employed persons working there than residing there, the opposite occurred in Gozo and Comino, reflecting the commuter worker balance.

The wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities employed the highest proportion of workers nationally at 26.4%. Public administration and defence, compulsory social security, education, and human health and social work activities accounted for 20.3% of employment.

For Malta region residents, 26.7% worked in the wholesale, retail, transport and hospitality sectors. However, the majority of Gozo and Comino residents, 28.8%, worked in public administration, education and health services.

Full-time employment in the Malta region reached 271,920 residents in 2024, up 3.3 per cent from 2023. The private sector accounted for 82.6% of these jobs, with the remainder in the public sector.

In Gozo, full-time employment amongst residents totalled 19,554, reflecting a stronger 5.9% increase compared to the previous year. The private sector accounted for 68.5% of these positions.

When examining jobs by workplace rather than residence, full-time employment in the Malta region stood at 276,640, whilst Gozo recorded 14,834 full-time positions.

Of the Gozitan commuters working full-time in Malta, 4,166 made the journey in 2024. Nearly half, 45%, worked in the public sector, whilst the remainder found employment in private sector roles.

Part-time employment amongst Gozo residents amounted to 7,128, with 61.6% holding part-time secondary employment. The wholesale, retail, transport and hospitality sectors accounted for the largest share at 30.2%.

The unemployment picture shows that the Southern Harbour district had the largest share of unemployed persons at 28%, totalling 313 individuals, followed by the Northern Harbour district at 25.7%.

The largest proportion of unemployed persons fell within the 50 years and over age bracket, accounting for 27.4% of the total. Across all districts, the highest proportions of unemployment duration were registered in the 13 to 52-week period.