Registered Unemployment: January 2026
- The number of registered unemployed in January 2026 increased by 186 persons over January 2025 levels.
- Males accounted for 66.3 per cent or 864 of the total registrants, while females accounted for 33.7 per cent or 439 registrants.
- An increase in registered unemployment was observed in all age groups.
- The number of persons with a disability registering for work decreased by two persons over the same period in 2025.
- Clerical support occupations remained the most commonly sought positions among the registered unemployed.
Registered Unemployment: January 2026
Registered Unemployment: January 2026
Data provided by Jobsplus for January 2026 indicates a year-on-year increase of 205 persons registering under Part I of the unemployment register, while registrations under Part II decreased by 19 persons (Tables 5 and 8). Males accounted for 66.3 per cent (864 individuals) of total registrants, while females comprised 33.7 per cent (439 individuals). Registered unemployment increased in all age groups, with the largest rises among people aged 30-44 and 20–24 (Table 1).
A year-on-year increase was recorded across most registration duration categories. The largest rise occurred among individuals registered for under 21 weeks, increasing by 129 persons. In contrast, only a slight decrease of two persons was observed among those registered for over one year (Table 2).
In January 2026, the number of persons with a disability registering for work decreased by two compared to the previous year, reaching 218 persons. Males accounted for 69.7 per cent of total registrants with a disability (Table 3).
The largest shares of persons, both for males and females, on the unemployment register sought occupations as Clerical support workers, with the respective proportions from the total number of registrants by sex standing at 25.9 per cent and 36.8 per cent (Table 4).
Tables
Tables
Methodological Notes
1. This news release provides data on the number of persons registering for work with Jobsplus.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) publishes another set of statistics regarding unemployment based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS) on a quarterly basis. When compiling LFS statistics, the NSO adopts the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition, an internationally agreed definition on unemployment. This definition has also been adopted by Eurostat and is used by all EU Member States. More details regarding the methodology used for the compilation of unemployment statistics from the LFS may be found in quarterly LFS news releases.
Since Jobsplus records and LFS results measure two different facets of unemployment, the resulting figures are not comparable. Users are therefore cautioned that these two sets of statistics should not be used interchangeably.
2. As from the release published on 23 February 2016, annual average results are being worked out using a custom-made application which takes into consideration more data points to work out the mean for the year. This approach may give rise to differences resulting from rounding.
3. In April 2019, the NSO introduced a new set of EU-harmonised indicators on monthly unemployment based on the European Labour Force Survey (EC 577/1998). The legal basis for this indicator was updated in 2019, and from 2021, a framework regulation for European statistics relating to persons and households (EC 2019/1700), based on data at the individual level collected from samples, came into effect.
4. The monthly unemployment rates (Tables 11-13) from October 2025 do not feature in this release, as administrative data on the labour supply from this month onwards are not yet available.
5. ISCO 08 is being used to classify occupations sought by the registered unemployed. For more information, check the Structure of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08).
6. Definitions:
• Registered unemployment rate: refers to the number of registered unemployed persons, both under Part I and Part II, as a percentage of the sum of the full-time registered employed and the total registered unemployed.
In computing the registered unemployment rates for the purpose of this release, only the full-time registered employed are taken into consideration. Persons employed on a part-time basis are not taken into account in this computation.
Registered unemployment rates are not comparable with LFS unemployment rates due to different sources of data collection. While LFS rates are based on sample survey estimates, registered unemployment rates are based on Jobsplus data (registered unemployment data and registered full-time employed).
• Long-term registered unemployment rate: refers to those people who have been registering for work for more than twelve months. The long-term unemployment rate is calculated by working out the number of the long-term unemployed under Part I as a percentage of the labour force.
• Part I of the unemployment register: those registering under Part I are either new job seekers who have left school, re-entrants into the labour market or individuals who have been made redundant by their former employers.
• Part II of the unemployment register: those registering under Part II are either workers who have been dismissed from work due to disciplinary actions, left work out of their own free will, refused work or training opportunities or were struck off the register after an inspection by Law Enforcement personnel.
• The Labour Supply/Labour Force: for the purpose of this release, the labour supply is the sum of the registered unemployed and the full-time gainfully occupied population (excluding part-time employment).
7. The data on unemployment levels is final and not normally subject to revision.
8. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
Statistical Concepts
Classification
9. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
