Malta is currently experiencing labor shortages in 20 occupations, as revealed by the 2023 EURES report on shortages and surpluses. This situation indicates that Maltese authorities are looking to attract highly-skilled foreign workers.
In response, an agency under the Maltese government, Identita, has launched the Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI). This initiative suggests that foreigners looking to live and work in Malta have a higher chance of securing employment if they possess the qualifications to fill any of these vacancies.
Some of the occupations experiencing shortages include manufacturing, construction, healthcare, food service and hospitality, business and administration, and transportation. With an estimated population of 542,051 in 2022, Malta relies on foreign workers to fill job vacancies across various fields.
According to the latest EURES report, the following roles are facing a shortage of workers in Malta:
- Messengers, package deliverers, and luggage porters
- Manufacturing laborers not elsewhere classified
- Building construction laborers
- Cleaners and helpers in offices, hotels, and other establishments
- Car, taxi, and van drivers
- Security guards
- Health care assistants
- Child care workers
- Shop sales assistants
- Bartenders
- Waiters
- Accounting and bookkeeping clerks
- Contact center information clerks
- Bookmakers, croupiers, and related gaming workers
- General office clerks
- Chefs
- Administrative and executive secretaries
- Office supervisors
- Business services and administration managers not elsewhere classified
- Managing directors and chief executives
Malta’s Effort to Attract Highly-Skilled Workers
The Specialist Employee Initiative (SEI) provides an opportunity for highly skilled nationals from developing countries who lack eligibility for the Key Employee Initiative but possess relevant academic or technical skills for their job offers in Malta. However, these foreign nationals from non-EU countries must have a signed contract with a Maltese-registered company to be eligible to apply.
Besides the SEI, the Malta Employers Association (MEA) views foreign workers as crucial to Malta’s logistics industry. At a National Forum hosted by MEA, President Joanne Bondin emphasized the essential role of foreign workers in supporting and boosting economic growth. According to Bondin, “EU and non-EU nationals have filled employment gaps in the logistics sector that might have otherwise hindered its development. They augment the labor force, enabling companies to meet the escalating demand for their services.”
Individuals from non-EU countries are required to have a visa to work in Malta through various types of work permits: the single permit, Key Employee Initiative, and EU Blue Card.
