The unemployment rate in Malta fell to 3.5 percent in the first quarter of 2019 from 3.9 percent in the same period of the previous year. The number of unemployed dropped by 358 to 8,853 while employed increased by 14,917 to 241,468. By genders, the jobless rate was lower for men (3.4 percent vs 3.9 percent in Q1 2018) than for women (3.8 percent vs 3.9 percent). Meantime, the activity rate went up to 74.9 percent from 72.6 percent a year earlier, with the highest rate being recorded among people aged 25-54 (86.7 percent). The employment rate rose to 72.2 percent from 69.7 percent in the corresponding period of 2018. Unemployment Rate in Malta averaged 6.20 percent from 2001 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 8.24 percent in the third quarter of 2003 and a record low of 3.50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Unemployment Rate in Malta is expected to be 3.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Unemployment Rate in Malta to stand at 3.20 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Malta Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 3.00 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.