This news release presents the findings of the Job Vacancy Survey (JVS), a quarterly enterprise-based enquiry that provides insights into the demand for labour by gauging the number of vacancies and occupied posts.
Job Vacancies
In the fourth quarter of 2023, there were a total of 7,656 vacancies within enterprises employing one or more persons, registering a 19.5 per cent increase over the same period in the preceding year (Chart 1, Table 1).
Chart 1. Number of job vacancies and occupied posts
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The wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities sector generated 30.2 per cent of all vacancies during the last quarter of 2023. On the other hand, the real estate activities sector recorded the lowest number of job vacancies, standing at 1.3 per cent of the total number of calls for application (Chart 2, Table 1).
Professional, scientific, technical, administration and support service activities recorded the highest year-on-year increase in the number of vacancies, with an addition of 647 vacancies. This was followed by public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities, which saw an increase of 392 vacancies. On the contrary, the information and communication sector experienced the largest drop when compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, with a reduction of 146 vacancies (Table 1).
Chart 2. Job vacancies by economic activity of enterprise
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Data also shows a correlation between enterprise size and number of job vacancies. In this regard, small enterprises (1 to 49 employees) contributed to approximately five in every ten vacancies whereas companies with 250 employees or more generated 21.4 per cent of all vacancies of the last quarter of 2023 (Chart 3, Table 2).
Chart 3. Job vacancies by size class of enterprise
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In the private sector, job vacancies increased by 1,143 between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2023, whereas the public sector experienced an increase of 106 vacancies over the same period (Table 3). As Chart 4 illustrates, the private sector continues to dominate the job vacancy market, representing 95.4 per cent of all vacancies, leaving the public sector with a 4.6 per cent share (Chart 4).
Chart 4. Job vacancies by economic sector
Q4 2022
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Q4 2023
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Occupied Posts
During the fourth quarter of 2023, the total number of occupied posts within enterprises employing 1 or more employees stood at 260,826. (Chart 2, Table 4). Just over one fourth of these posts were recorded in the wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service activities. In this regard, over a period of one year, this category of economic activities registered a growth of 3.4 per cent. A further 65,439 occupied posts were estimated to be in the public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities sector, making up 25.1 per cent of the total number of occupied posts (Table 4).
During the last quarter of 2023, 39.5 per cent of occupied posts were estimated to be in enterprises employing 250 employees or more. Units with 50 to 249 employees made up one fourth of all occupied posts (Table 5).
Occupied posts within the private sector stood at 205,736, garnering 78.9 per cent of the total number of jobs. The public sector totalled 55,090, making up the remaining 21.1 per cent (Table 6).
Job Vacancy Rate
In the fourth quarter of 2023, 2.9 per cent of jobs in Malta were vacant, remaining stable when compared to the preceding quarter and incrementing by 0.4 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2022 (Chart 5, Table 7). The job vacancy rate was highest within the information and communication sector (5.0 per cent) whilst the public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities sector registered the lowest rate of job vacancies (1.1 per cent) (Table 7).
Smaller enterprises, with 1 to 49 employees, showed a higher job vacancy rate of 4.3 per cent, suggesting a greater demand for labour in this segment. Large enterprises, comprising 250 or more employees, exhibited a lower rate of job vacancies at 1.6 per cent (Table 8).
The private sector registered a job vacancy rate of 3.4 per cent in the last quarter of 2023 whereas only 0.6 per cent of total jobs in the public sector were vacant during the same period (Table 9).
Chart 5. Job vacancy rate
in relation to unemployment rate
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Tables
Methodological Notes
1. The Job Vacancy Survey (JVS) is a quarterly enterprise survey carried out with over 2,500 private sector entities employing one or more employees. Administrative sources are used to compile information relating to the public sector.
2. The objective of this survey, as laid down in the regulation (EC) No. 453/2008, is to provide information on the demand for labour at a reference date across units employing one or more employees and engaged in NACE sections B-S. The economic activity is classified according to NACE Rev. 2 (Nomenclature générale des Activités économiques dans les Communautés Européennes).
3. Definitions:
● A job vacancy is defined as a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant, for which the employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise concerned, and the employer intends to fill either immediately or within a specific period of time.
● Active steps to find a suitable candidate include:
notifying the job vacancy to the public employment services;
contacting a private employment agency;
advertising the vacancy in the media, for example, internet, newspapers and magazines;
advertising the vacancy on a public notice board;
approaching, interviewing or selecting possible candidates/potential recruits directly;
approaching employees and/or personal contacts;
using internships.
● The term ‘within a specific period of time‘ refers to the maximum time the vacancy is open and intended to be filled. When the period is unlimited, all vacancies for which active steps are ongoing after the reference date shall be reported.
● An occupied post means a paid post within the organisation to which an employee has been assigned. This value excludes all board members, self-employed owners, directors, partners and managers who are solely paid by way of profits, persons on unpaid leave, posts unoccupied due to long-term absences (e.g., parental leave or long-term sickness) together with employees of temporary employment agencies, outside contractors or consultants, and voluntary workers.
● The Job Vacancy Rate (JVR) is calculated using this formula:
● The Job Vacancy Survey takes a snapshot of the number of job vacancies and occupied posts on a specific day, known as the reference date. For 2017, the reference date was the 30th day of the end of quarter month (i.e., March, June, September and December). As from 2018, the reference date was the 15th day of the end of quarter month (i.e., March, June, September and December).
● The unemployment rate refers to the number of unemployed persons (15-74 years) as a percentage of the total labour force (15-74 years). Unemployment rates were obtained from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
4. Data in this news release is provisional and therefore subject to revisions.
5. Statistics in this news release should be interpreted in the context of the COVID-19 situation.
6. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
Sources and Methods
Statistical Concepts
Metadata
NACE Rev. 2 Classification
7. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
8. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
9. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.
- In the fourth quarter of 2023, there were a total of 7,656 vacancies.
- The sector comprising wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities held the largest share of job vacancies at 30.2 per cent.
- Small enterprises having 1 to 49 employees accounted for 54.3 per cent of all vacancies, while the share of vacancies generated by companies with 250 employees or more amounted to 21.4 per cent.
- The private sector dominated the job vacancy market, representing 95.4 per cent of all vacant positions, with the public sector accounting for 4.6 per cent.
