Q4 2020: Full-timers worked an average of 41.9 hours per week

Full-timers worked an average of just under 42 hours per week in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to data from the Labour Force Survey.

The data also shows that part-timers worked 21.8 hours per week.

The average monthly basic salary of employees for the fourth quarter of 2020 was estimated at €1,555. The highest basic salary was recorded in the Financial and insurance activities sector, with an average of €2,376.

Average monthly salaries varied from €1,041 among persons employed in elementary occupations to €2,264 among managers.

During the period under review, the Labour Force Survey estimated that total number of persons in employment was 260,109. This is 0.8% less when compared to the previous year.

This means that 59.5% of the population aged 15 and over was in employment. On average, out of every 100 persons aged between 15 and 64 years, 74 were employed.

There were 11,886 unemployed persons (2.7%), while inactive persons totalled 165,008 (37.8%).

Self-employed persons accounted for 16% per cent of all persons with a main job.

The majority of employed persons worked on a full-time basis and amounted to 229,255.

A further 30,854 had a part-time job as their primary employment.

Unemployed and inactive

The unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2020, stood at 4.4 per cent.

The largest share of unemployed persons was recorded among persons aged 25 to 74 years.

Females accounted for 60.8 per cent of total inactive persons and those over 65 years made up the highest share of the inactive.

Over 40 per cent were inactive because they had reached retirement age or were taking up early retirement.

Almost half of the persons aged 15 years and over had attained a low level of education.

By contrast, 34.7 per cent of the employed had a tertiary level education.