Sep 01 - Government: Unemployment Reaches New Low - 147 Unemployed People Find Jobs
A total of 147 unemployed people have found jobs, bringing Gibraltar’s unemployment rate down to a new record low.
The news follows the Government’s recent announcements in June in respect of its strategy of closer collaboration with Approved Contractors to identify vacancies for the registered unemployed, and the launch of the Careers and Employment Development Service offered by the Department of Employment.
The Ministry of Business and Employment, supported by the Department of Employment, identified persons who were suitable and interested in the available vacancies. Some 270 interviews were organised for the candidates as a result.
The Employment Careers Service has also held a series of training programmes on interviews and other skills in order to prepare the candidates for their interviews. The Government says that these skills seminars were clearly useful in increasing the applicants’ chances of succeeding at the interview stage.
The Ministry of Business and Employment notes that at the end of July 2016, the total number of registered unemployed was 157. The Government says that this figure is the lowest number of registered unemployed persons actively seeking employment since the previous record of 164 in August 2015. The unemployment rate stands at 0.49%, which is the second lowest unemployed rate in the world after Qatar’s.
Commenting on the above, the Minister for Business and Employment, Neil F. Costa, said: “As our community is aware, finding employment for the unemployed in Gibraltar is a top priority for Government and for me since becoming Employment Minister. To have successfully assisted 147 unemployed persons find employment in such a short period of time, is a testament to the hard and excellent work being put in by staff at my Ministry, duly supported by the Department of Employment. It is also worth highlighting that a total of 270 interviews were organised in order to find the right candidates for the jobs in question. It is very rewarding for us to assist the unemployed in whichever way possible and it is incredibly important that these previously unemployed individuals will find the meaning and purpose that comes from employment opportunities. It is also extremely gratifying to be able to say that Gibraltar has the second lowest registered unemployment figure in the world and is undisputable evidence of the hard work being carried out. I really wish to give a huge and public thank you to all my staff at the Ministry and the Department of Employment. The people of Gibraltar can rest assured that Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar will continue in its commitment to find gainful employment to all those who are seeking employment and are registered unemployed.”
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