Cyprus Labour Costs Set At €21.7 In 2025 As EU Averages Reach €34.9

Overview Of Eurostat’s Findings

Eurostat data show that average hourly labour costs in Cyprus are projected to reach €21.7 in 2025. Non-wage costs, including social contributions, account for 19.4% of total labour expenses, reflecting the structure of employment costs in the country.

Regional And Sectoral Comparisons

Across the European Union, average hourly labour costs are expected to increase from €33.5 in 2024 to €34.9 in 2025, while in the euro area they are projected to rise from €36.8 to €38.2. Eurostat data indicate annual increases of 4.1% across the EU and 3.8% in the euro area, pointing to continued upward pressure on labour costs.

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Country-Level Divergence

Most euro area countries recorded increases, although Malta reported a decline of 0.5%. Higher growth rates were observed in Bulgaria (13.1%), Croatia (11.6%), Slovenia (9.3%), and Lithuania (9.2%), while more moderate increases were recorded in France (2.0%) and Italy (3.2%). Cyprus, Spain, and Luxembourg each reported a 3.5% increase.

Disparities And Implications Across The EU

Significant differences remain across member states in absolute labour cost levels. Lower hourly costs were recorded in Bulgaria (€12.0), Romania (€13.6), and Hungary (€15.2), while higher levels were observed in Luxembourg (€56.8), Denmark (€51.7), and Netherlands (€47.9).

Non-wage costs accounted for 24.8% of total labour costs in the EU and 25.6% in the euro area. Lower shares were recorded in Romania (4.8%), Lithuania (5.5%), and Malta (5.8%), whereas higher shares were observed in France (32.3%), Sweden (31.7%), and Slovakia (28.6%).

Broader Employment Cost Trends Outside The Eurozone

Labour costs also increased in EU countries outside the euro area when measured in national currencies. Higher growth rates were recorded in Romania (10.6%), Hungary (8.9%), and Poland (8.8%), while Denmark reported a more moderate increase of 3.0%.

Conclusion

Eurostat data point to continued growth in labour costs across Cyprus and the European Union, alongside notable differences between countries. These trends may influence wage developments, labour market conditions, and business costs across the region.

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payabl. Launches Click To Pay With Visa To Help Merchants Improve Checkout Conversion And Reduce Fraud

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

April 17, 2026

payabl. has launched Click to Pay with Visa, a new card payment experience designed to help merchants reduce checkout friction, improve authorisation rates, and deliver a faster, more secure online payment journey.

Click to Pay replaces manual card number entry with a token-based checkout experience. Once a customer’s card is enrolled, they can complete purchases in just a few clicks, without re-entering card details. The result is a faster checkout that mirrors the ease of contactless payments in-store, while maintaining strong security standards.

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For merchants, the impact is measurable. According to Visa, Click to Pay can deliver up to a 11% uplift in authorisation rates compared to manual card entry, alongside significant fraud reduction through network tokenisation. Faster checkout also helps reduce cart abandonment, particularly on mobile, where typing card details remains a major source of friction.

“With online checkout, every extra step costs conversion,” said Breno Oliveira, Chief Product Officer at payabl. “Visa Click to Pay removes one of the biggest points of friction at the moment of purchase. It helps merchants approve more legitimate transactions, reduce fraud exposure, and give customers the experience they already expect.”

Visa Click to Pay is available through payabl. checkout, enabling merchants to activate the service without additional integration complexity. The solution works across devices and supports existing security flows, including 3D Secure where required.

“Consumers have come to expect a highly personalised, intuitive, and seamless payment experience, whether they’re buying a coffee, shopping online, or applying for a loan. Visa Click to Pay aims to meet these expectations by removing the need to manually enter card details, thus enhancing both security and the consumer experience in online card payments. With the support of network tokens, Visa Click to Pay enabled a more secure and smoother transaction process, available in many countries around the world. According to European VisaNet data, Visa Click to Pay may allow a 4.5% uplift in merchant sales, meaning a possible annual increase of €51 bn in SMB eCommerce sales in the UK and EU,” said Michael Ioannides, Country Manager, Visa Cyprus.

The launch forms part of payabl.’s broader focus on checkout optimisation, helping merchants improve conversion, approvals, and payment reliability at scale. Click to Pay with Visa is now live for eligible merchants across Europe.

Checkout expectations are rising across Europe

Insights from payabl.’s State of European Checkouts report underline why frictionless checkout experiences are becoming a commercial priority. The research found that consumers cite speed (46%), convenience (44%), and security (41%) as the top reasons for choosing a payment method. More than half of consumers (53%) are open to switching to newer payment methods and nearly half (48%) are open to one-click checkouts, provided the solution is backed by a trusted brand such as Visa.

“Checkout is no longer just the final step of a transaction,” said Oliveira. “It is a critical part of the overall customer experience. Our research shows that 43% of European consumers will not return to a site after a poor checkout experience. For merchants across the UK and Europe, that translates directly into lost customers and lost revenue.”

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