James Debono
A MaltaToday analysis of unemployment statistics presented in parliament last week reveals that, with the exception of St Paul’s Bay, unemployment is currently concentrated inside the harbour area and in Gozo.
For the second consecutive year, Xghajra – the locality with the greatest number of unemployed between 2003 and 2007 – has ceded its top place in the jobless table to the Gozitan locality of Zebbug.
Marsaskala and Vittoriosa are the new entrants to this year’s top 10 localities with the highest rate of unemployment.
Gozo as a whole has registered an increase in the rate of unemployment from 644 in 2005 to 768 in 2009. In 2008, 706 were unemployed.
Munxar, which has experienced a 0.5% rise increase in unemployed since 2007 inhabitants, emerges as the Gozitan locality with the second largest number of unemployed. Nationally it comes fourth after Xghajra and Bormla.
Saint Paul’s Bay, whose low-price rental market attracts social cases from the rest of the island, has seen its unemployment increase by 0.5%.
Over the past year unemployment in the harbour area has also increased. In Valletta the number of unemployed increased by 0.3% while in Bormla unemployment increased by 0.7%.
Unemployment is lowest in middle-class localities like Attard, Naxxar, Swieqi and Lija. Rural towns like Mellieha and Mgarr also have low levels of unemployment.
Significantly these localities also top the educational league tables when it comes to junior lyceum examination passes and entry to university.
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