Cyprus Employment Rate Holds At 82.3%, Outpacing EU Average

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 14, 2026

Cyprus’ employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 held at 82.3% in the second quarter of 2026, remaining well above the European Union average, according to Eurostat.

Cyprus Stays 5.9 Points Above EU Average

The rate was unchanged from the first quarter and stood 5.9 percentage points above the EU average, which edged up to 76.4% from 76.3%.

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Employment rose in 14 EU countries between the first and second quarters, remained unchanged in four, including Cyprus, and fell in nine.

Portugal And Malta Lead Quarterly Gains

Portugal and Malta recorded the largest quarterly increases, at 0.6 percentage points each. Greece followed with a 0.5-point gain, while Latvia and Slovenia each rose 0.4 points.

Austria recorded the sharpest decline, at 0.4 percentage points. Lithuania and Sweden followed, both down 0.3 points.

EU Labour Market Slack Holds At 11%

Labour market slack, which measures unused labour capacity among people aged 20 to 64, stood at 11% across the EU in the second quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter.

The measure includes unemployed people as well as others with an unmet need for work, providing a broader picture of underused labour capacity than the unemployment rate alone.

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Cyprus Job Vacancies Fall 7% As Hiring Demand Softens

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 14, 2026

Cyprus’ job vacancy rate fell to 2.6% in the second quarter of 2026, down from 2.8% in the previous quarter and 3.3% a year earlier, according to data from the Statistical Service, or Cystat.

Vacancies declined by 975, or 7%, from 13,905 in the first quarter. The drop points to softer hiring demand, although several sectors continue to face staffing shortages.

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Hospitality Records Highest Vacancy Rate

Accommodation and food service activities had the highest vacancy rate at 4.6%, reflecting continued demand for workers in one of Cyprus’ most labor-intensive industries.

Transportation and storage and administrative and support services followed at 3.5% each, while construction recorded a 3.1% vacancy rate. Wholesale and retail trade stood at 3%.

Hospitality And Trade Have Most Openings

Accommodation and food service activities also recorded the largest number of vacancies, with 2,827 positions. Wholesale and retail trade followed with 2,286, while construction had 1,330.

Professional, scientific and technical activities recorded 874 vacancies, followed by transportation and storage with 859, manufacturing with 854, and administrative and support services with 789.

Public administration and defense had 665 vacancies, while human health and social work activities recorded 572. Information and communication activities had 441 openings, and financial and insurance activities had 398.

Vacancy Rates Vary Widely Across Sectors

Manufacturing and human health and social work activities each recorded vacancy rates of 2.2%. Publishing, broadcasting and content production, information and communication, and public administration and defense each stood at 2%.

Water supply and waste management and professional, scientific and technical activities recorded 1.9%, while other services stood at 1.8%, financial and insurance activities at 1.7%, and arts, sports and recreation at 1.5%.

Education had a vacancy rate of 0.7%, while electricity supply and real estate activities each stood at 0.6%. Mining and quarrying recorded no vacancies.

What Counts As A Job Vacancy

Cystat defines a job vacancy as a paid position that is newly created, unoccupied or about to become vacant, where an employer is actively seeking an external candidate and intends to fill the role immediately or within a specified period.

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