Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1446087
2 NEWS 27.1.2022 THE seasonally adjusted monthly un- employment rate for December 2021 stood at 3.4 per cent, at par with the previous month. For the month under review, the un- employment rate for males was 3.7 per cent, while the rate for females stood at 3.0 per cent e unemployment rate during De- cember 2021 for persons aged 15 to 24 years (youth unemployment rate) was 8.7 per cent, while the rate for those aged between 25 and 74 years stood at 2.8 per cent. Components leading to the seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate e unemployment rate for Decem- ber 2021 stood at par when com- pared with the previous month and declining by 0.9 percentage points from December 2020. During December 2021, the number of unemployed persons was 9,693, with the unemployed males and the 25 to 74 age group being the major contributors to the overall level of unemployment. e seasonally adjusted number of unemployed youths amounted to 2,545, whereas those aged between 25 and 74 years stood at 7,148. For the last month of 2021, the un- employment rate for males was 3.7 per cent, while the rate for females stood at 3.0 per cent. Both rates remain un- changed when compared to the previ- ous month. e unemployment rate for persons aged 15 to 24 years (youth unemploy- ment rate) was at 8.7 per cent, while the rate for those aged between 25 and 74 years stood at 2.8 per cent. December 2021 unemployment rate stood at 3.4% Council adopts position on a common charger for electronic devices 1 Kindly indicate source when quoting from this release. The advance release calendar may be consulted at www.nso.gov.mt Issued by: Dissemination Unit, National Statistics Office, Lascaris, Valletta VLT 2000, Malta. T. +356 2599 7219 F. +356 2599 7205 E. nso@gov.mt https://twitter.com/NSOMALTA/ https://www.facebook.com/nsomalta/ Compiled by: Labour Market and Information Society Statistics Unit Contact us: National Statistics Office, Lascaris, Valletta VLT 2000 T. +356 25997219, E. nso@gov.mt 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 per cent year Chart 1. Seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate • For the month under review, the unemployment rate for males was 3.7 per cent, while the rate for females stood at 3.0 per cent (Table 1). • The unemployment rate during December 2021 for persons aged 15 to 24 years (youth unemployment rate) was 8.7 per cent, while the rate for those aged between 25 and 74 years stood at 2.8 per cent (Table 1). Statistics in this News Release should be interpreted in the context of the COVID-19 situation. Seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate EU members states agreed on a negoti- ating mandate for the common charger proposal. e proposal aims to makes sure that it is no longer needed to buy a new charger every time a new mobile phone or similar item is purchased, and that all devices can be recharged using the same charger. e EU is working on a draft legisla- tion that proposes a common standard port for all smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable speak- ers and video game consoles. e proposal will improve consumer convenience by harmonising charging interfaces and fast charging technology. With this new law, the sale of charg- ers will be unbundled from the sale of electronic devices, so that a new charg- er will not necessarily be included when buying a new device. is will reduce the electronic waste associated with the production, transportation and disposal of chargers. To improve consumer information, the Council added an annex to the proposal with a pictogram indicating whether a charging device is offered together with the device, as well as a label indicating charging specifications. e Council text also clarifies techni- cal specifications for a common charger. e mandate was approved by ambas- sadors in the Council's Permanent Rep- resentatives Committee, which allows the Council presidency to start nego- tiations with the European Parliament once the European Parliament agrees its position. e proposal for a common charger was tabled by the European Commis- sion on 23 September 2021.