Malta’s labour market continued to strengthen during the first quarter of 2026, with employment rising by 3.3 per cent compared to the same period last year according to the latest Labour Force Survey, the NSO said in a statement.
The survey estimates that 333,682 people aged 15 and over were employed between January and March 2026, representing 65.3 per cent of the population. At the same time, 12,093 people were unemployed, while 165,082 were classified as inactive.
The activity rate among those aged 15 to 64 reached 82.6 per cent, with the highest participation recorded among individuals aged 25 to 54, where the rate stood at 91.6 per cent.
The employment rate for people aged 15 to 64 was estimated at 79.6 per cent during the quarter. Men continued to record higher employment levels, with an employment rate of 84.5 per cent compared to 73.7 per cent among women.
Workers aged between 25 and 34 represented the largest share of the employed population for both sexes. Self-employed individuals accounted for 13.2 per cent of all workers with a main job.
Most employed persons worked full-time, with 294,973 people in full-time employment, while 38,709 held part-time jobs as their primary occupation. Full-time employees worked an average of 37 hours per week, while part-time workers averaged 19.8 hours. Overall, employees worked an average of 35 hours per week, a slight decrease of 0.3 hours compared to the first quarter of 2025.
Average earnings also remained strong. The average monthly basic salary was estimated at €2,270. The Financial and Insurance Activities sector recorded the highest average monthly salary at €3,105. By occupation, managers earned the highest average salary at €3,628 per month, while workers in elementary occupations earned an average of €1,410.
Despite the strong labour market performance, the unemployment rate among persons aged 15 to 74 stood at 3.5 per cent. Women accounted for 56.9 per cent of the inactive population.
Older adults made up the largest share of inactive persons, with those aged 65 and over representing 56.8 per cent of the total inactive population. Retirement remained the primary reason for inactivity, accounting for 43 per cent of all inactive individuals.
The survey also highlighted educational attainment trends. Among the population aged 15 and over, 38.7 per cent had attained secondary education or lower. Meanwhile, 40 per cent of employed persons held a tertiary-level qualification, underlining the increasing role of higher education in Malta’s labour market.
