Employment Growth And Workforce Expansion

Total employment in Cyprus reached 531,062 people in the fourth quarter of 2025, representing 65.2% of the population, according to data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). This compares with 518,053 people, or 64.3%, in the same period of 2024. The number of employed individuals rose to 509,773, lifting the employment rate to 62.6% from 61.4% a year earlier.

Declining Unemployment And Gender Breakdown

Unemployment continued to decline, with the number of unemployed falling to 21,289. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.0%, compared with 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Male unemployment stood at 3.8%, while female unemployment reached 4.2%. Employment rates rose to 67.6% for men and 57.9% for women, reflecting broad-based improvement across the labor market.

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Improved Outcomes For The Core Working-Age Group

Among people aged 20 to 64, the employment rate increased to 81.7%, up from 80.2% a year earlier. Employment gains were also recorded among older workers, with the 55–64 age group rising from 69.9% to 71.7%. The data suggests continued expansion in workforce participation across multiple age groups.

Sectoral Distribution And Employment Patterns

Services remained the largest employer, accounting for 81.3% of total jobs, followed by industry at 16.5% and agriculture at 2.2%, broadly unchanged from the previous year. Part-time employment represented 8.6% of total jobs, or 43,703 positions, compared with 8.8% previously. Full-time employment accounted for 90.2%, totaling 460,003 positions. The share of temporary contracts increased to 14.8% from 13.6%.

Rising Youth Unemployment

Despite overall labor market improvement, youth unemployment increased. The unemployment rate among people aged 15–24 rose to 14.7%, compared with 9.6% a year earlier. At the same time, long-term unemployment declined to 18.3% from 25.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024. Most unemployed individuals, around 66.6%, had been seeking work for less than six months.

Comprehensive Quarterly Analysis

The Labour Force Survey is conducted quarterly by Cystat and covers approximately 3,800 households across urban and rural areas. The data provides a snapshot of labor market trends in Cyprus as employment growth continues alongside shifting dynamics in youth and temporary employment.