Unemployed – 21% still on the dole after two years
James Debono
One in five unemployed persons or 21.1% has been registering for work for more than two years, statistics by the Employment Training Corporation show.
Another 52% of Malta’s 6,373 unemployed have been registering for work for less than six months.
And 437 (6.9%) have now been registering for over five years.
An ETC spokesperson told MaltaToday that preparations to launch the Community Work Scheme are in their final phases and will be launched in the very near future.
The scheme, announced in the last Budget, will draft unemployed individuals receiving benefits and not taking up a training course, carry out community work or public works up to 30 hours per week, and in turn receive 75% of the national minimum wage.
According to the ETC, a total of 2,868 registered unemployed started ETC courses between January to December 2008.
The statistics show that 56% of the registered unemployed are over 35 years old and 35.6% are over 45.
83% lack ordinary level qualifications, and most unemployed persons are seeking jobs at the lower end of the labour market. Despite the decline of the manufacturing sector, 15% are seeking jobs in factories while 19% are seeking jobs in the services industry.
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