Almost half of all non-EU workers in Malta were overqualified for their jobs in 2023, a new Eurostat study has revealed.

The percentage of overqualified non-EU workers in Malta rose from 18.2% in 2016, to 48.7% last year, jumping 30.5 percentage points in seven years.

This number was also 9.3 percentage points above the EU average of 39.4%

During the same period, the data shows that the EU average decreased from 45.2% to 39.4%, indicating that while the rest of Europe reduced the number of overqualified non-EU workers doing menial jobs, Malta’s situation trended in the opposite direction.

The data, published on Friday, came after Times of Malta reported that hundreds of TCNs were having their work permit applications refused. Government sources confirmed that non-EU applicants had been refused by Identità in recent days as part of a crackdown on employers it regarded “abusive”.

On Friday, the government confirmed that new applications by third-country nationals for cab driving and food courier work permits were being turned down because the market had “reached saturation”.

Only 12.6% of Maltese respondents reported being overqualified for their role. Even fewer workers born in other European countries (11.8%) felt overqualified.

The numbers of overqualified nationals and EU workers in Malta were both lower than the EU average, which stood at 20.8% and 31.3%.

In 2023, Greece reported the highest level share of over-qualified non-EU citizens (69.6% followed by Italy (64.1%) and Spain (56%).

When it came to workers from other EU countries, the highest shares of over-qualified workers were recorded in Italy (45.1%), followed by Cyprus (43.1%) and Spain (42.3%).

When it comes to the lowest rates, Luxembourg has the lowest number of overqualified nationals (4.3%) and overqualified EU workers (5.6%). The country has consistently posted the lowest figures for non-EU workers throughout the years, but the data for 2023 was not available.

More female non-EU workers who are overqualified in Malta

From the non-nationals surveyed, the data shows that women represent higher over-qualification rates than men.

In 2023, nearly half of non-EU female workers (42.9%) reported they were overqualified for their role, against 36.2% of 36.2% of men.

Once again, Malta’s figures are higher than the EU average.

The results show in Malta there were 56.9% of non-EU female workers and 42% of male workers who were overqualified.

In 2023, over-qualification rates in the EU were higher for older persons compared to younger ones among both non-EU citizens and Third-Country nationals.

The Eurostat results show that half (50.5%)  of the younger non-EU workers (20-34) in Malta felt overqualified. A similar figure (46.9%) of older non-EU workers (35-64) also felt overqualified for their job in Malta.