The government’s claim about job creation has been exposed as a myth after the European Commission told Labour MEP Prof Edward Scicluna that neither Eurostat nor the national statistical bodies collect data on ‘new jobs’ since the European System of National Accounts (ESA 1995) does not recognise it as a measurable statistic.

The Commission was responding to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Prof Scicluna on whether Eurostat collected data to assess numbers of ‘new jobs’.

In its reply, the Commission stated that “the Commission (Eurostat) and National Statistical Institutes collect and publish harmonised quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons employed. Persons employed and jobs do not have 1-to-1 relation and an employed person may have more than one job.”

Prof Scicluna said: “What prompted me to ask these questions was the  surprisingly unorthodox formula presented as to how ‘new jobs’ were calculated for the Prime Minister. The inclusion of redundancies seemed to me highly questionable and bordering on the downright unacceptable. But I wanted the confirmation of the Commission on this.”

The Prime Minister’s much touted claim to have created 20,000 new jobs figure is nothing more than a myth.”

Last month, Prime Minister Gonzi told Parliament that the government had created nearly 24,000 new jobs since the start of 2008. According to the EU’s statistical agency Eurostat, the number of persons employed in Malta for more than one hour per week, has increased from 160,600 at the end of 2007 to 170,300 in 2011, an increase of 9,700 persons.

“It is very amateurish and irresponsible for an official or advisor to pass on data to the Prime Minister based on such spurious estimations, especially when more officially reliable data from Eurostat is available. But I suppose Eurostat’s data is not there to serve the government’s agenda.

 

 

Il-Kummissjoni  tesponi l-ħrafa tal-istima tal-20,000 ‘post tax-xoghol ġdid’  – Scicluna

Il-Kummissjoni Ewropea esponiet id-dikjarazzjoni tal-gvern Malti dwar in-numru ta’ ‘postijiet tax-xogħol ġodda’ bħala ħrafa fi tweġiba li tat għall-mistoqsijiet tal-Ewroparlamentari Laburista il-Professur Edward Scicluna. Fit-tweġiba tagħha, il-Kummissjoni sostniet li kemm il-Eurostat u kemm l-aġenziji nazzjonali tal-istatistika ma jiġbrux data dwar in-numru ta’ postijiet ġodda tax-xogħol hekk kif is-Sistema Ewropea tal-Kontijiet Nazzjonali (ESA 1995) ma tirrikonoxxix din il-kategorija bħala statistika li tista tiġi mkejla.

Il-Kummissjoni kienet qed tirrispondi għal numru ta’ mistoqsijiet parlamentari mressqa mill-Prof. Scicluna fuq jekk il-Eurostat tiġborx statistika biex ikun jista’ jitkejjel in-numru ta’ ‘postijiet tax-xogħol ġodda’.

Skont il-Kummissjoni, d-definizzjonijiet statistiċi internazzjonali tal-persuni impjegati tal-ESA1995 tal-Eurostat u tal-Organizzazzjoni Internazzjonali tax-Xogħol (ILO)  ma jinkludux statistika li tkejjel ‘postijiet tax-xogħol ġodda’ maħluqa f’xi ekonomija minħabba li din l-istatistika ma titqies li tista’ tiġi mkejla.

Fir-risposta tagħha, il-Kummissjoni qalet li “l-Eurostat u l-Istituti Nazzjonali tal-Istatistika jiġbru u jippubblikaw statistika armonizzata kull tliet xhur u kull sena dwar in-numru ta’ persuni impjegati. Il-persuni impjegati u l-postijiet tax-xogħol m’għandhomx relazzjoni ta’ 1-għal-1 peress li persuna impjegata jista’ jkollha aktar minn impjieg wieħed.”

Prof. Scicluna qal:  “Li xprunani nagħmel  dawn il-mistoqsijiet kien il-mod stramb ta’ kif inħadmet il-formula tal-istima li fuqha ġie kkalkolat n-numru ta’ ‘postijiet tax-xogħol ġodda’. Din il-figura ġiet ikkwotata diversi drabi mill-Prim Ministru.  L-inklużjoni tan-numru ta’ persuni ssensjati kienet dubjuża ħafna u mhux ta’ min jaċċettaha.  Għalhekk xtaqt li nitlob konferma mill-Kummissjoni fuq din il-kwistjoni.”

“Il-ftaħir tal-Prim Ministru li nħolqu iktar minn 20,000 post tax-xogħol ġdid m’hi xejn għajr ħrafa.”

Ix-xahar li għadda, il-Prim Ministru Gonzi qal fil-Parlament li l-gvern ħoloq madwar 24,000 impjieg ġdid tax-xogħol mill-bidu tal-2008.  Skont l-Aġenzija tal-Istatistika Ewropea Eurostat, in-numru ta’ persuni li jaħdmu f’Malta għal aktar minn siegħa fil-ġimgħa, żdied minn 160,600 fl-aħħar tal-2007 għal 170,300 in 2011, żieda ta’ 9,700 persuna.

“Huwa verament irresponsabbli u dilettantesk li xi uffiċjal jew konsulent jgħaddi statistika lill-Prim Ministru bbażata fuq stimi foloz, speċjalment meta diġa’ hemm statistika tajba u uffiċjali tal-Eurostat  lesta u disponibbli. Pero’ qed nissoponi li l-istatistika tal-Eurostat mhux qegħda hemmhekk biex isservi l-aġenda tal-gvern.”

 

Link to Commission’s answer to Prof. Scicluna’s question:

 

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– Wednesday, 11th July 2012