Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo explained that there were 1,877 individuals who lost their jobs in 2018, despite a tally of 1,994 lost jobs in the year, meaning that some were fired more than once. It was also said that 18 people were caught working while receiving unemployment benefits in 2018, with all cases going to Court.
These two sets of statistics were raised in answer to two Parliamentary Questions by PN MP Hermann Schiavone to the Employment Minister.
Jobs lost in 2018
Minister Bartolo explained that there were 1,877 individuals who lost their jobs, with a total tally of 1,994 lost jobs because “a person can lose their job more than once in a year”. The tabled numbers of jobs lost, and the jobs which the individuals were doing at the time is as follows:
| Job Category | Number of Jobs Lost |
| Management | 221 |
| Professionals | 293 |
| Technicians and Associated Professionals | 261 |
| Clerks and Support Workers | 221 |
| Services and Sales Workers | 371 |
| Skilled Agricultural, Fishery, Forestry Workers | 19 |
| Crafts and Related Trades | 195 |
| Plant and Machine Operators/Assemblers | 104 |
| Elementary Occupations | 309 |
| Total | 1994 |
Working on benefits
Subsequently, Schiavone also asked the Employment Minister for the number of cases in which individuals were caught working while receiving unemployment benefits over the last two years, and the steps taken against them. Bartolo answered that there were 46 people caught in 2017, and 18 in 2018.
Of the 46 caught in 2017, 24 of them will be taken to Court and 20 have since regularised their position. Meanwhile, one of the cases appealed to the National Employment Authority and won, while the other was charged in the Gozo Court and was liberated. However, the 18 cases from 2018 are all going to be taken to Court.
