Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
The national JVS is conducted through a sample survey among private-sector enterprises, while administrative data is used for public-sector entities. Since 2017, the survey’s target population has included all enterprises with one or more employees (full-time or part-time) operating under NACE Rev. 2 Sections B–S.
Data is collected quarterly, with enterprises reporting employee counts and active vacancies as of the 28th day of the mid-quarter month. On 14 March 2025, results covering 2017–2024 were published at the national level. Main findings are also transmitted to and published by Eurostat. For 2024, JVS transmissions continued to cover all enterprises employing one or more persons.
2.2. Classification system
A number of classifications are applied for this survey. These include NACE Rev 2, ISCO 08 (the International Standard Classification of Occupations) and NUTS (the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics).
2.3. Coverage - sector
The data covers all the economic activities defined by NACE Rev. 2, except agriculture, forestry and fishing activities (optional in the JVS framework regulation), and the activities of households as employers and the activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies.
2.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Job Vacancy
A job vacancy is defined as a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant and meets the following conditions:
Recruitment Efforts – The employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise.
Intention to Fill – The employer intends to fill the position either immediately or within a specific period.
Active steps to find a suitable candidate may include:
Notifying the vacancy to public employment services.
Contacting private employment agencies or headhunters.
Advertising the vacancy in the media (e.g., internet, newspapers, magazines).
Posting the vacancy on public notice boards.
Approaching, interviewing, or selecting potential candidates directly.
Using internal referrals, personal contacts, or internships.
The specific period of time refers to the maximum duration for which the vacancy is open and actively being filled. This period is considered unlimited; all vacancies with ongoing recruitment efforts as of the reference date should be reported.
Occupied Post An occupied post refers to a paid post within an organisation to which an employee has been assigned.
2.5. Statistical unit
The basic statistical unit for the data collection is the legal unit.
2.6. Statistical population
The statistical population used in the compilation of the job vacanacies statistics for the year 2024 includes enterprises which employ 1 or more employees. The target population includes all active units according to the national Business Register.
2.7. Reference area
The whole territory of the country.
2.8. Coverage - Time
Quarterly data available from Q1 2010 for enterprises employing 10 or more employees, whilst quarterly data for enterprises employing 1 or more employees is available from Q1 2017.
2.9. Base period
Not applicable
3.1. Source data
Identification of the source of the data
The national Job Vacancy Survey is carried out using a sample survey of private enterprises, whilst administrative data is used with regards to public entities.
Coverage
Geographical
National Coverage
NACE
The survey is carried out amongst enterprises covering all Nace Rev. 2 categories except categories A, T and U
Enterprise size
The survey is carried out with legal units that employ 1 or more employees.
Definition of the statistical unit
A legal unit employing 1 or more employees
Remarks
Sampling design
Base used for the sample
The base used for the JVS is the national Business Register.
Sampling design
Stratified Random (using Optimum Allocation of strata)
Retention/renewal of sampling units
Replacement of non-respondent units is not necessary as these are followed during the subsequent quarters. Ineligible units are dropped from the sample but are still not replaced.
Sample size
2887 units
Stratification
Stratification is based on NACE Rev. 2 sections and size of the enterprise according to the number of employees.
Other sources
Maintenance agency
NSO maintains a companies register from where the sampled entities are selected. The national employment agency provides us with the vacancies for public entities, whereas information on public service units is collected via a survey.
Updating frequency
The business register is updated on an annual basis whereas public sector employment held by the national employment agency is updated on a monthly basis.
Rules for clearance (of outdated information)
Enterprises are eliminated from NSO’s sampling frames following deletions from other administrative bodies whose role is to register these companies in Malta (e.g. VAT Dept, Tax Dept.)
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions
The survey is carried out by way of the Malta Statistics Authority Act (2000)
Remarks
3.2. Frequency of data collection
Reference dates
Reference date for 2024 was the 28th day of the mid-quarter month (i.e. February, May, August, November)
3.3. Data collection
Brief description of the data collection method(s)
Remarks
Data Collection and Follow-Up Procedures
Initial Contact: All sampled companies are contacted either by post or via electronic mail to inform them about the survey and provide submission instructions.
Reminders: Non-responding units receive follow-up reminders through email to encourage timely submission.
Telephone Chasing: Additional follow-up is carried out via telephone, particularly targeting strata with lower response rates to improve overall data completeness.
Acknowledgements: All responding units receive email acknowledgements confirming receipt of their completed submissions.
3.4. Data validation
Incoming data is systematically checked for consistency against results from previous quarters. When discrepancies or significant deviations are identified, the National Statistics Office (NSO) contacts respondents directly—either via email or telephone—to verify the information and clarify the reasons for the variations.
3.5. Data compilation
Brief description of the weighting method
Weighting dimensions
General Approach
Weights are calculated based on the ratio of accepted entities to the total number of eligible units in the target population.
This procedure applies only to private sector entities, as administrative data is used to cover all public sector organisations.
Consequently, the weight assigned to public sector organisations is fixed at 1.
Calibration Procedure
For private companies, a calibration procedure is performed to ensure that the final weights align with benchmark data, specifically:
NACE classifications, and
Employee size classes.
Size Class Divisions The following size classes are applied for weighting purposes:
1–9 employees
10–19 employees
20–49 employees
50–249 employees
250+ employees
Aggregation at Legal Unit Level
For some parts of the sample—particularly entities operating in the education sector—data is initially compiled at the local unit level.
These data are then aggregated to the legal unit level before the calculation of weights is performed.
The weight dimensions are NACE major groups and size-class (1-9, 10-19, 20-49, 50-249, 250+)
3.6. Adjustment
Calibration techniques are used to align sample characteristics with those pertaining to the target population.
4.1. Quality assurance
Figures relating to occupied posts undergo quarterly consistency checks to ensure data reliability. When substantial discrepancies are identified, imputations are applied to adjust the data in line with historical patterns and auxiliary information, thereby maintaining accuracy and coherence.
4.2. Quality management - assessment
Not applicable.
5.1. Relevance - User Needs
Description of the national users and their main needs
Remarks
Main users of this data include:
International organisations (such as Eurostat, UNESCO, OECD, EU's Directorate General for Employment),
Public entities (such as Ministries and Government Authorities)
Private entities (including research organisations, unions and businesses), and
Individuals.
Although this data is generally required for policy making purposes and to forecast job vacancy trends, it is also used for research purposes, such as market research.
5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Extent to which the needs of national users are satisfied (voluntary)
Remarks
The NSO carried out a user satisfaction survey covering all domains.
Description of missing variables and missing breakdowns of the variables
Report progress on the implementation measures regarding quarterly job vacancies statistics of Regulation (EC) No 453/2008, including :
a detailed plan and timetable for completing implementation
a summary of the remaining deviations from EU concepts
No deviations to the EU concepts
5.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Transmitted information relates to units employing 1 or more persons.
6.1. Accuracy - overall
Sampling Errors B-S
Q1
1.3%
Q2
1.2%
Q3
2.1%
Q4
1.5%
The sampling error presented above is calculated on the total number of vacancies as at the reference date, based on the employment size of enterprises within the private sector. Public sector entities are excluded from this calculation since data on both employment and vacancies for these organisations is obtained directly from administrative sources, rather than through sampling.
6.2. Sampling error
The standard error measures the amount of random sampling variation in survey results and is commonly expressed as a margin of error (MOE). This margin quantifies the level of uncertainty around an estimate and allows the calculation of confidence intervals, expressed as:
Estimate ± Margin of Error
For this survey, the margin of error is calculated using a 95% confidence level, where:
MOE = 1.96 × Standard Error
The stratified random sampling design used in this survey is fully accounted for when computing sampling errors.
To maintain data reliability:
Estimates with a percentage margin of error greater than 40% are excluded from publication, as they are deemed too volatile.
Estimates with relatively high but acceptable margins of error are flagged appropriately in published tables.
6.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Coefficient of variation (taking into account the sampling design) or estimated sampling error for the number of job vacancies (see guidelines).
Information on variables with non-negligible measurement and processing errors
Information on main sources of (non-negligible) measurement and processing errors and, if available, on methods applied for correction
Estimation bias: An assessment of the non-sampling errors, in terms of the absolute number of vacant posts, for the total number of job vacancies and, where possible, for aggregation level of NACE Rev. 2 specified in Annex 1 to this Regulation and size classes (1-9, 10 + employees).
Remarks
No specific bias related to a particular variable has been identified
Not applicable
Not applicable
6.3.1. Coverage error
Description of any difference between the reference population and the study population
Description of classification errors
Description of any difference between the reference dates and the reference quarter
Any other relevant information
No difference
Coverage errors in the JVS relate to:
Units which were deemed to be in operation during the reference period, but which were actually found to have ceased operation when contacted to carry out the Job Vacancy Survey
Misclassification of economic activity of sampled units
The reference date used for JVS is the 28th of the mid quarter month (i.e., February, May, August, November)
6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
The national Job Vacancy Survey (JVS) covers all units employing one or more persons. The over-coverage rate is defined as the proportion of sampled units that are either:
Solely made up of self-employed individuals, or
Have no employees on their payroll during the reference period.
For 2024, the quarterly over-coverage rates were as follows:
Q1: 1.9%
Q2: 4.3%
Q3: 4.6%
Q4: 6.0%
This results in an annual average over-coverage rate of 4.1%.
6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
0.8% of units in the sample were also covered by administrative sources in 2024.
6.3.2. Measurement error
Measurement errors in the Job Vacancy Survey (JVS) may arise when respondents report the total number of vacancies rather than the number of active vacancies during the reference period.
To address this issue, the data collection tool was updated in 2017 to include additional questions, asking respondents to:
Confirm whether the call for applications for each vacancy was still open on the reference date.
Indicate the required level of education for each vacancy.
These refinements help reduce misreporting and improve the accuracy of vacancy data.
6.3.3. Non response error
Refer to sections 6.3.3.1 and 6.3.3.2.
6.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Unit response rate
The overall response rate per quarter was as follows:
Q1 - 71.7%
Q2 - 72.9%
Q3 - 70.1%
Q4 - 68.2%
The response rate takes only into account units which were included in the survey since the response rate of units from administrative records is equal to 100%.
6.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
6.3.4. Processing error
Refer to the subsections below.
6.3.4.1. Imputation - rate
Item imputation rate and methods and, where possible, the effect of imputation on the estimates for the variables transmitted
Employment level imputation by quarter:
Q1 - 14.3%
Q2 - 4.8%
Q3 - 5.4%
Q4 - 5.0%
Average - 7.5%
Sum of vacancies imputation by quarter:
Q1 - 8.8%
Q2 - 8.6%
Q3 - 11.6%
Q4 - 10.2%
Average - 9.8%
6.3.5. Model assumption error
If modelling is used, include a description of the models used. Particular emphasis should be given to models for imputation or grossing-up to correct for unit non-response.
Not applicable.
6.4. Seasonal adjustment
Brief description of seasonal adjustment procedures, in particular with regard to the European Statistical System guidelines on seasonal adjustment which have been endorsed and supported by the SPC.
In 2024, JVS data for enterprises employing 1 or more employees was seasonally adjusted. The whole series is run through JDemetra+ in order to outline the areas were seasonality is present for both occupied posts and vacancies.
JVS data is revised on a regular basis in order to be in line with updates provided in the target population. These updates are usually provided by JVS respondents or otherwise by the unit which is in charge of the Business Register. NSO has an internal data revision policy which we adhere to.
Refer to section 6.6.1.
6.6. Data revision - practice
Provide a revision history, including the revisions in the published number of job vacancies and a summary of the reasons for the revisions.
Refer to Section 6.6.1 for revision averages.
6.6.1. Data revision - average size
While the target population is regularly updated at a micro-level to reflect the most current information, no revisions were implemented during the year 2024.
7.1. Timeliness
Data collection starts during the first week following the reference date. Results are finalised by t+70 days.
7.1.1. Time lag - first result
Information on the time span between the release of data at national level and the reference period of the data.
The information pertaining to JVS is transmitted to Eurostat on a quarterly basis (t+70 days).
7.1.2. Time lag - final result
JVS results are flagged as provisional pending any changes to the target population.
7.2. Punctuality
Quarterly JVS data was transmitted on the following dates:
Quarter 1: 6 June 2024
Quarter 2: 5 September 2024
Quarter 3: 5 December 2024
Quarter 4: 10 March 2025
All transmissions took place within the deadline.
7.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Deadlines for the respondents to reply, also covering recalls and follow-ups
Period of the fieldwork
Period of data processing
Dates of publication of first results
Remarks
Respondents are usually given 15 days to complete the survey. A reminder is sent shortly after the deadline has passed, and telephone follow-ups—focusing on activities with the lowest response rates—are conducted concurrently. The entire data collection process typically takes around 1.5 months. Data collection for the second quarter requires a longer period, as it coincides with the summer break for many companies.
Fieldwork is conducted immediately after the reference period. For example, Q1 (January–March) fieldwork begins on the first working day following February 28th.
Data customization and processing take approximately one month. Information from administrative sources must be aligned with data provided by private parties, ensuring that all information is consolidated into a single dataset.
Results at national level were first published in June 2024
8.1. Comparability - geographical
Information on differences between national and European concepts, and — to the extent possible — their effects on the estimation.
No difference in concepts.
8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
8.2. Comparability - over time
Information on changes in definitions, coverage and methods in any two consecutive quarters, and their effects on the estimation.
Remarks
The coverage of the JVS is comparable over the period 2017 onwards.
8.2.1. Length of comparable time series
During 2024, the Labour Market and Information Society Statistics unit received an updated version of the target population, which necessitated revising figures on occupied posts for the period 2017–2024. Moreover, to comply with current JVS regulations, from Q1 2017 onward, sampled enterprises were asked to provide data on both employment and vacancies as of a specific reference date. The reference dates were as follows:
2017: 30th day of the last month of each quarter (March, June, September, December)
2018–2023: 15th day of the last month of each quarter (March, June, September, December)
2024: 28th day of the mid-quarter month (February, May, August, November)
As a result, data comparability for units employing 10 or more employees can be considered from 2013 onwards, while comparability for units employing 1 or more employees can be considered from 2017.
8.3. Coherence - cross domain
Comparisons of data on the number of vacant jobs from other relevant sources when available, in total and broken down by NACE at section level when relevant, and reasons if the values differ considerably.
Overall, employment data align with figures compiled from the Business Register. However, coherence across domains is not possible for job vacancy data, as information on vacated posts is not available from other sources—there are no comprehensive sources in terms of coverage and definitions.
In Malta, the unemployment rate declined from 3.3% in the first quarter (Q1 2024) to 2.9% in the fourth quarter (Q4 2024). Similarly, the job vacancy rate decreased slightly from 3.2% in Q1 2024 to 2.9% in Q4 2024, suggesting only minor adjustments in labour market dynamics over the year.
When comparing Labour Force Survey (LFS) data with Job Vacancy Survey (JVS) data on occupied posts, the overall difference between the two estimates is 8%. Variations across economic activities are mainly due to the high weights assigned to foreigners in the LFS data, as well as differences in sampling units—households in LFS versus enterprises in JVS. In addition, the LFS estimate refers only to persons with a main occupation, whereas the JVS estimate covers total employment, including both main and secondary jobs.
There is coherence between annual and quarterly results since annual figures are the average of the four quarters which are transmitted by this office.
8.5. Coherence - National Accounts
As indiciated in the table below, discrepencies in employment levels between JVS and Natonal Accounts are a result of different estimation methods. National accounts tend to use a mix of sources to derive employment whereas in JVS employment levels are mainly derived from respondent answers as well as PES register data for public sector. As stated in section 8.3, there is no comparable information on vacated posts, hence coherence for this variable is not possible.
JVS
National Accounts
B-E
24994
25282
F
13304
14425
G-I
67543
70851
J
12280
12473
K
13386
16000
L
3023
2711
M-N
51583
51971
O-Q
66879
63493
R-S
13852
15105
Total
266846
272309
8.6. Coherence - internal
Data is checked in order to ensure that there is coherence between one quarter and another and consistency in the time series.
9.1. Dissemination format - News release
On 21 March 2024, for the first time at the national level, a news release presenting results from the Job Vacancy Survey for the years 2017–2023 was published. The release included data on the number of job vacancies, occupied posts, and job vacancy rates, aggregated by NACE A10 categories, enterprise size class (1–49; 50–249; 250+), and economic sector (public vs. private). Following this initial publication, quarterly news releases are being issued, presenting the outcomes for occupied posts and job vacancies recorded during the reference quarter.
9.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Dissemination scheme, including to whom the results are sent
Periodicity of national publication
References for publications of core results, including those with commentary in the form of text, graphs, maps, etc.
Information on what results, if any, are sent to reporting units included in the sample
Although the national Job Vacancy Survey is relatively simple and straightforward, it still contributes to the response burden on enterprises.
To reduce this burden and minimize costs, the NSO employs a mixed-mode data collection approach, with a large share of responses gathered via electronic mail. Non-responding units are followed up by telephone to ensure satisfactory response rates, enabling the compilation of reliable statistics. For units where information can be sourced from administrative records, JVS data are derived directly from these sources.
11.1. Confidentiality - policy
Not applicable.
11.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Disclosure rules: Brief description of when data have to be deleted for reasons of confidentiality
Micro-data for this survey is not made available. In addition, statistics based on less than 3 readings are not published.
The national JVS is conducted through a sample survey among private-sector enterprises, while administrative data is used for public-sector entities. Since 2017, the survey’s target population has included all enterprises with one or more employees (full-time or part-time) operating under NACE Rev. 2 Sections B–S.
Data is collected quarterly, with enterprises reporting employee counts and active vacancies as of the 28th day of the mid-quarter month. On 14 March 2025, results covering 2017–2024 were published at the national level. Main findings are also transmitted to and published by Eurostat. For 2024, JVS transmissions continued to cover all enterprises employing one or more persons.
Not Applicable
Job Vacancy
A job vacancy is defined as a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant and meets the following conditions:
Recruitment Efforts – The employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise.
Intention to Fill – The employer intends to fill the position either immediately or within a specific period.
Active steps to find a suitable candidate may include:
Notifying the vacancy to public employment services.
Contacting private employment agencies or headhunters.
Advertising the vacancy in the media (e.g., internet, newspapers, magazines).
Posting the vacancy on public notice boards.
Approaching, interviewing, or selecting potential candidates directly.
Using internal referrals, personal contacts, or internships.
The specific period of time refers to the maximum duration for which the vacancy is open and actively being filled. This period is considered unlimited; all vacancies with ongoing recruitment efforts as of the reference date should be reported.
Occupied Post An occupied post refers to a paid post within an organisation to which an employee has been assigned.
The basic statistical unit for the data collection is the legal unit.
The statistical population used in the compilation of the job vacanacies statistics for the year 2024 includes enterprises which employ 1 or more employees. The target population includes all active units according to the national Business Register.
The whole territory of the country.
Not Applicable
Sampling Errors B-S
Q1
1.3%
Q2
1.2%
Q3
2.1%
Q4
1.5%
The sampling error presented above is calculated on the total number of vacancies as at the reference date, based on the employment size of enterprises within the private sector. Public sector entities are excluded from this calculation since data on both employment and vacancies for these organisations is obtained directly from administrative sources, rather than through sampling.
Not Applicable
Brief description of the weighting method
Weighting dimensions
General Approach
Weights are calculated based on the ratio of accepted entities to the total number of eligible units in the target population.
This procedure applies only to private sector entities, as administrative data is used to cover all public sector organisations.
Consequently, the weight assigned to public sector organisations is fixed at 1.
Calibration Procedure
For private companies, a calibration procedure is performed to ensure that the final weights align with benchmark data, specifically:
NACE classifications, and
Employee size classes.
Size Class Divisions The following size classes are applied for weighting purposes:
1–9 employees
10–19 employees
20–49 employees
50–249 employees
250+ employees
Aggregation at Legal Unit Level
For some parts of the sample—particularly entities operating in the education sector—data is initially compiled at the local unit level.
These data are then aggregated to the legal unit level before the calculation of weights is performed.
The weight dimensions are NACE major groups and size-class (1-9, 10-19, 20-49, 50-249, 250+)
Identification of the source of the data
The national Job Vacancy Survey is carried out using a sample survey of private enterprises, whilst administrative data is used with regards to public entities.
Coverage
Geographical
National Coverage
NACE
The survey is carried out amongst enterprises covering all Nace Rev. 2 categories except categories A, T and U
Enterprise size
The survey is carried out with legal units that employ 1 or more employees.
Definition of the statistical unit
A legal unit employing 1 or more employees
Remarks
Sampling design
Base used for the sample
The base used for the JVS is the national Business Register.
Sampling design
Stratified Random (using Optimum Allocation of strata)
Retention/renewal of sampling units
Replacement of non-respondent units is not necessary as these are followed during the subsequent quarters. Ineligible units are dropped from the sample but are still not replaced.
Sample size
2887 units
Stratification
Stratification is based on NACE Rev. 2 sections and size of the enterprise according to the number of employees.
Other sources
Maintenance agency
NSO maintains a companies register from where the sampled entities are selected. The national employment agency provides us with the vacancies for public entities, whereas information on public service units is collected via a survey.
Updating frequency
The business register is updated on an annual basis whereas public sector employment held by the national employment agency is updated on a monthly basis.
Rules for clearance (of outdated information)
Enterprises are eliminated from NSO’s sampling frames following deletions from other administrative bodies whose role is to register these companies in Malta (e.g. VAT Dept, Tax Dept.)
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions
The survey is carried out by way of the Malta Statistics Authority Act (2000)
Remarks
Not Applicable
Data collection starts during the first week following the reference date. Results are finalised by t+70 days.
Information on differences between national and European concepts, and — to the extent possible — their effects on the estimation.
No difference in concepts.
Information on changes in definitions, coverage and methods in any two consecutive quarters, and their effects on the estimation.
Remarks
The coverage of the JVS is comparable over the period 2017 onwards.
