Non-Cypriots Overrepresented At Both Ends Of Cyprus’ Pay Scale

Cyprus’ average monthly earnings rose in the first quarter of 2026, according to provisional figures released on Wednesday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). Distribution data published alongside the averages showed that most employees earned below the headline figure, reflecting differences across income groups, gender and nationality.

Average Pay Continues To Rise

Average gross monthly earnings for employees in Cyprus reached €2,601 in the first quarter of 2026, compared with €2,508 in the same period a year earlier, an annual increase of 3.7%.

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After seasonal adjustment, average gross monthly earnings stood at €2,652, up 0.8% from the fourth quarter of 2025. By comparison, the unadjusted average reached €2,932 in the previous quarter, reflecting year-end bonuses and other seasonal payments.

Most Employees Earn Below The Average

Distribution data showed that 40.9% of employees earned between €1,500 and €2,999 per month, making it the largest income group. A further 33.9% earned less than €1,500.

Only 13.1% of employees earned between €3,000 and €4,499, while 6.4% received between €4,500 and €5,999. At the upper end of the scale, 5.7% earned €6,000 or more.

Gender Gap Persists

Men continued to earn more than women on average. Male employees recorded gross monthly earnings of €2,776 in the first quarter, compared with €2,378 for female employees.

On an annual basis, men’s earnings increased by 3.3%, while women’s earnings rose by 4.2%. After seasonal adjustment, average monthly earnings reached €2,823 for men and €2,434 for women.

Compared with the previous quarter, seasonally adjusted earnings increased by 0.7% for men and 1.0% for women.

Earnings Vary By Nationality

The distribution of earnings also differed by nationality. Cypriot employees were more concentrated in the middle income bands, while non-Cypriot employees accounted for larger shares at both the lower and upper ends of the pay scale.

Among Cypriot employees, 45.2% earned between €1,500 and €2,999 per month, while 27.4% earned less than €1,500. Among non-Cypriot employees, 46.7% earned below €1,500, and 32.6% fell into the €1,500 to €2,999 bracket. At the highest income level, 8.5% of non-Cypriot employees earned €6,000 or more, compared with 4.3% of Cypriot employees.

The pattern was similar by gender. Among non-Cypriot men, 44.5% earned less than €1,500, while 10.3% earned at least €6,000. The corresponding figures for Cypriot men were 22.9% and 5.3%. Among women, 50.3% of non-Cypriot employees earned below €1,500, compared with 32.3% of Cypriot women. At the upper end of the scale, 5.5% of non-Cypriot women earned €6,000 or more, versus 3.1% of Cypriot women.

Earnings Distribution Highlights Differences Across The Workforce

While average monthly earnings increased in the first quarter, the distribution data showed that most employees earned below the overall average. The figures also pointed to differences in earnings across gender, nationality and income bands.

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Retail’s AI Push Faces A Cybersecurity And Regulatory Reality Check

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic priority for retailers, with 80% of retail leaders planning to increase investment in the technology, according to EY’s latest CEO Outlook Survey. However, growing concerns over cybersecurity, customer privacy and regulation could complicate adoption across an industry already facing inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and changing consumer expectations.

Confidence In AI Comes With Risks

The survey found that 80% of retail leaders are confident in their ability to expand the responsible use of AI and customer data. Retailers are increasingly applying the technology to demand forecasting, inventory management, customer service and personalised marketing, seeking to improve efficiency and respond more quickly to market changes.

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Yet adoption brings new vulnerabilities. EY found that 24% of retail leaders identified cybersecurity and data privacy as a leading business risk for the year ahead. Retailers manage sensitive customer information, payment systems and complex supply chains, making effective security and governance essential as AI becomes more deeply embedded in their operations.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 highlights the wider challenge: 87% of organisations reported rising cyber risks linked to AI vulnerabilities, while 94% expected malicious AI to have a significant impact on cybersecurity in 2026.

Regulation Will Shape AI Adoption

Regulatory frameworks are also influencing how quickly retailers can expand their use of AI. The European Union’s AI Act, China’s state-led governance model and measures introduced by individual US states are shaping the rules around the technology.

For retailers, compliance is becoming a strategic consideration, particularly for customer-facing applications that use personal data to personalise offers, automate interactions or analyse consumer behaviour. Regulatory missteps could carry significant costs in a sector where customer trust is critical.

EY Outlines Four Possible Futures

EY recommends that retailers plan for multiple outcomes rather than assume the current investment boom will continue uninterrupted. Its analysis draws on a four-scenario framework developed by Jim Dator of the University of Hawaii.

One scenario envisages constrained AI adoption as economic pressures, regulation, cyberattacks, legacy systems and poor data quality limit progress. Retailers in this environment may prioritise lower-risk back-office applications, such as finance, procurement, inventory and logistics, while customer-facing tools face resistance.

A second scenario anticipates continued growth, with sustained investment and widespread adoption. A third envisages deeper economic and social transformation as technology reshapes business operations. The fourth considers systemic breakdown, in which a small number of technology platforms control access to AI models and charge premium prices, potentially making advanced capabilities less accessible even to large retailers.

Governance Will Determine Competitive Advantage

EY’s findings suggest that investment alone will not determine which retailers benefit most from AI. Companies will also need robust cybersecurity, effective governance and strategies that can adapt to different economic, technological and regulatory conditions.

For a sector operating on tight margins, the challenge is to turn AI investment into lasting business value while managing the risks that come with greater dependence on the technology.

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