Jobsplus conducted a report last year which found that foreigners make up over a quarter of Malta’s workforce.

”Employment of foreign nationals increased drastically,” a Jobsplus representative said as the report was published.

The number of foreign workers in Malta increased from 9,500 in 2009 to around 67,000 a decade later.

As of 2021, 67% of foreign workers were European, 25% Asian, 6% African, and the rest American and Australian.

Employment positions taken by non-Maltese vary throughout all sectors. The gambling and betting sector being the industry with the most non-local employees – over 58.6% of people in the industry are foreign.

Nearly half of all construction workers are foreign.

Jobsplus chairperson Charmaine Cristiano Grech emphasised that staff shortages are a “daily issue” for businesses.

In 2021, Minister of Parliament Clyde Caruana, claimed that foreign workers are still crucial to strengthen the island’s economy, despite challenges that they might bring with them.

Caruana also added that migrant workers are more likely to encounter abuse at their workplace, and experience accidents and fatalities.

These numbers do not include workers which aren’t officially registered, hence making the data slightly inaccurate.