After losing work, a person can register with Jobsplus online or at one of its six centres. The registration normally requires an ID or Residence Card and may also require proof of termination, a CV and certificates. Part 1 covers new jobseekers after leaving school, people re-entering work and redundancy cases. Part 2 covers voluntary leavers, disciplinary dismissals, refusal of work or training and people removed from the register. The available research does not establish access to Unemployment Benefit through Part 1 after voluntary resignation. Registration can also exist while a person is employed, so it does not by itself prove unemployment. A registered jobseeker generally needs to be capable of working and available for work. Part 1 registration automatically starts an application for Unemployment Benefit, and Jobsplus informs the DSS, but not every Part 1 registration creates an entitlement. An Employment Advisor can help with vacancy matching in Malta or abroad, job-search support and referrals. Servizz.gov provides access assistance for people with a disability or another barrier to using the normal service. Jobsplus sets appointments and records attendance with a magnetic card and fingerprint. The person receives a chit with the next appointment and instructions. Registration duties can include attending interviews, job-search seminars, job fairs and training activities, then giving interview feedback to the Employment Advisor. Missing required appointments or activities can lead to removal from the register. A person who starts a new job must submit a Declaration of Employment before work begins and stop the Jobsplus registration; failing to report the change can lead to a strike-off process. Changes to residence, household, travel or income must also be reported to the DSS, and a Life Certificate may be required in some cases. Unemployment Benefit is a contributory payment. The record must contain at least 50 paid Class 1 or Class 2 contributions in total and at least 20 paid or credited contributions in the last two consecutive calendar years. A full entitlement can last for up to 156 days when the record contains at least 156 contributions. From January 2026, the payment is calculated in three successive periods: 60% of salary or earnings for the first 10 weeks, 55% for the following 10 weeks and 50% for the final 6 weeks. The daily minimum and maximum rates are €20.64 and €36.14, then €18.93 and €33.13, and finally €17.21 and €30.11. Payment covers six days per week, Monday to Saturday, and the calculation uses the National Minimum Wage up to a ceiling of 175% of that wage. Unemployment Assistance is a separate non-contributory payment. It is aimed at a household-responsible person over 23 who is registered in Part 1 and passes a Capital Means Test. The capital limit is €16,000 for a single person or €26,000 for a couple. Rent, interest, shares, maintenance and other income must remain within the applicable limits. The payment is weekly; a single person living alone can receive the full rate, while the rate is 75% when the person lives with a relative other than a parent. A separate online application is required. Special Unemployment Benefit combines household responsibility, the relevant contribution record and a means test, with a maximum duration of 156 days. Subsidiary Unemployment Assistance is available to an unemployed household-responsible person who has a valid Subsidiary Protection Certificate or identity document and passes the means test; it is paid weekly. The DSS must receive immediate updates about changes that can affect these payments. A jobseeker arriving in Malta from an EU or EEA country or Switzerland may use a U2 document to continue receiving unemployment support from the originating country. Malta's unemployment payment cannot be received in parallel for the same period. The person must normally register in Part 1 within seven days after the U2 period begins and provide proof of residence. The transfer usually lasts between three and six months. A person exporting a Maltese payment should contact the DSS at least two weeks before departure, have at least four weeks of Jobsplus registration, obtain U2 and register with the employment service in the destination country within seven days. Monthly follow-up may apply. The U1 document helps another country recognise relevant Maltese insurance or employment periods. The system is national and covers Malta and Gozo; no separate municipal benefit regime is established in the available research. Official information does not state a fee for Jobsplus registration or the benefit applications. When a person returns to work, the unemployment status ends or changes, while an eligible non-contributory beneficiary who has received support for at least one year during the previous three years may qualify for Tapering of Benefits after taking employment that pays at least the National Minimum Wage. The beneficiary payment is 75% of the former benefit rate in the first year, 55% in the second and 35% in the third; payments are made every four weeks, and the employer may receive 25% for up to three years.
Unemployment in Malta
Unemployment in Malta covers registration as a jobseeker, income support, job-search duties and the return to employment. Jobsplus, Malta's public employment service, manages the Unemployment Register, while the Department of Social Security (DSS) handles social-security benefits. In July 2026, the NSO Labour Force Survey recorded 3.5% unemployment, or 11,963 people; the Jobsplus register recorded 1,319 people in Parts 1 and 2, and the figures are not directly comparable because they use different definitions. Eligibility and payment depend on contribution records, household means, registration category and the person's circumstances.
VivAVia can make mistakes. Check important information.