Malta: population 700,000?

The increasing reliance on foreigners to address Malta’s shortage in the workforce may push the population to reach 700,000 mark in a few years, with possible social and environmental repercussions, employers are warning. Malta Employers Association president Dolores Sammut Bonnici expressed this concern during a debate organised this morning by the Malta Institute of Accountants. The discussion focused on the sustainability of small and medium enterprises and their growth prospects. In a brief analysis of the current economic scenario, Ms Sammut Bonnici reiterated employers’ recruitment struggles while noting that this was a result of Malta being completely unprepared for the rapid economic growth being registered. Despite government incentives to increase female participation rate and to encourage workers reaching retirement age to remain in employment, the shortage in the labour workforce had persisted, she said. “We have reached a situation that the moment you are awarded a large contract you start scratching your head whether you have a workforce big enough to carry out the job,” she remarked. READ: Hoteliers' worries about 'over-tourism' are almost ironic, says PM Moreover...