Cyprus Employment Rises As Unemployment Continues To Decline

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 27, 2026

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.

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Ryanair Cuts 20 Routes In Belgium As Aviation Taxes And Fuel Costs Rise

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 20, 2026

Ryanair is cutting 20 routes and more than one million seats from its Belgian winter 2026 schedule, citing higher aviation taxes and rising fuel costs. The airline said it would reduce its fleet by six aircraft across Brussels Charleroi and Brussels Zaventem, representing a $600 million reduction in investment.

At the centre of the dispute is Belgium’s planned aviation tax increase, from €2 per ticket in January 2025 to €7 in January 2027. Ryanair argues that higher charges will make the country less competitive than European markets with lower operating costs.

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O’Leary Warns Of Higher Fares In 2027

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has also warned that airfares could rise significantly next year as the airline’s existing fuel price protection expires.

“We guarantee no fuel surcharges, but there is no doubt that air fares are going to rise significantly in 2027 because of much higher oil prices,” O’Leary told Euronews.

The airline has secured fuel prices at approximately $67 per barrel for 2026 through advance pricing agreements. O’Leary expects costs to roughly double next year as that protection ends.

Oil prices have risen amid the war in the Middle East and concerns over supply routes through the Persian Gulf. Brent crude closed at $109.86 per barrel on Friday, its highest level since May, before moving above $110, according to the report.

Belgium Faces Pressure Over Aviation Taxes

O’Leary argues that aviation taxes do more than increase airline costs: they can also redirect passenger traffic, investment and tourism towards countries with lower charges.

“The Belgian government is doing exactly the opposite,” he said, warning that the planned increase could discourage investment, reduce passenger numbers, hurt tourism and cost jobs.

Ryanair said it had already redirected six aircraft, more than one million seats and 20 routes away from Belgium for winter 2026. The airline warned that further cuts could follow if the tax remains unchanged.

It also criticised the EU emissions trading system, arguing that it raises the cost of intra-EU flights while flights to destinations outside the bloc do not face the same burden. O’Leary called for Belgium to abolish aviation taxes, saying higher charges would shift demand and tourism towards more competitively priced destinations elsewhere in Europe.

Airlines Face Wider Cost Pressures

Belgium’s planned tax increase was reduced from an earlier proposal to charge €10 per ticket following industry pressure. Ryanair maintains, however, that the revised rate remains too high.

The capacity cuts come as other airlines also adjust their schedules amid challenging market conditions. Sweden’s SAS and easyJet have both reduced flights this year.

Ryanair is urging the Belgian government to reconsider the tax, warning that maintaining higher charges could further weaken the country’s aviation market.

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