Unemployment rate fell at the end of 2011

August 08, 2012:  

The Central Statistical Office has reported that the local unemployment rate in the last three months of 2011 has fallen to 4.2 percent.

The latest Labour Force Bulletin from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) said the unemployment rate fell from 5.2 percent for the third quarter of 2011 to 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter.

The statement compared these figures to the fourth quarter 2010 unemployment rate, which was 6.3 percent.

This increase in the total labour force between the third and fourth quarters of last year, according to the report, occurred mainly among craft and related workers and elementary occupations.

The Bulletin showed that more people were employed during the fourth quarter of 2010, a total of 621,900 persons which represents an increase of 2 percent over the total labour force of 609,500 people for the third quarter of 2011.

It also showed that there was an increase in the number of women employed, an increase by 3.8 percent between the third and fourth quarter of 2011; while men continued to have the larger share of the total labour force at 59.1 percent.