Malta Ranks Third Highest Job Vacancy Rate In The EU

Malta continues to rank among the European Union’s most worker-hungry economies, with new Eurostat figures showing the island recorded one of the highest job vacancy rates in the bloc during the first quarter of 2026.

At 3.3%, Malta had the third-highest job vacancy rate in the EU, trailing only the Netherlands (4.0%) and Belgium (3.4%).

The figure is well above the EU average of 2.1% and marks an increase of 0.4 percentage points compared to the same period last year, the largest rise recorded by any EU member state alongside Portugal and Slovenia.

A high job vacancy rate generally indicates strong demand for workers and difficulties filling available positions.

Malta’s labour shortages appear particularly pronounced in the services sector, where the vacancy rate stood at 4.2%, compared to an EU average of 2.3%.

Meanwhile, vacancies in industry and construction reached 3.8%, more than double the EU average of 1.8%.

Across Europe, accommodation and food services, construction, technology and administrative support services were among the sectors struggling most to fill roles.

The latest figures come as Malta continues to experience strong economic growth, with businesses across multiple industries repeatedly highlighting difficulties in recruiting staff.

While some economists view high vacancy rates as a sign of a healthy and expanding economy, others have warned that persistent labour shortages can place pressure on wages, productivity and business growth.

The data also highlights Malta’s continued reliance on foreign workers, who have played a major role in filling workforce gaps over recent years.

As demand for employees remains high, finding enough workers to sustain economic growth is likely to remain one of Malta’s biggest challenges.

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Gabriel Falzon

Gabriel Falzon is a social media executive at Lovin Malta, with a keen interest in digital media, local businesses, and the natural world. Outside of work, you’ll often find him baking up a storm, diving into video games, or exploring the endless corners of YouTube.