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Cyprus State Employment Reaches 55,367 In March 2026, Up 0.1%

Key Figures Reflect Marginal Growth In The State Workforce

State employment in Cyprus reached 55,367 in March 2026, an increase of 42 employees compared with March 2025. The change corresponds to annual growth of 0.1%, according to Cystat. For January–March 2026, average employment increased by 0.2% compared with the same period in 2025.

Shifts In The Civil Service And Security Forces

Employment trends varied across sectors. Civil service staff declined by 0.8%, from 23,198 to 23,013 employees. Security forces recorded a 0.7% decrease, from 13,832 to 13,734. Education staff increased by 1.8%, rising from 18,295 to 18,620.

Differentiated Trends In Employment Categories

By contract type, employees with indefinite contracts increased by 1.7% to 9,617. Permanent staff rose by 0.1% to 32,900. Employees on definite duration contracts declined by 2% to 6,318, while hourly paid staff decreased by 0.3% to 6,532.

Sector-Specific Contractual Adjustments

Civil service permanent staff decreased to 11,934. Indefinite contracts declined by 3.1% to 4,030, while definite duration contracts increased by 0.5% to 1,437. Hourly paid roles fell by 0.8% to 5,612. In the education sector, permanent staff remained at 12,446 with a slight decrease. Indefinite contracts increased by 24.9% to 1,184. Definite duration contracts rose by 2.1% to 4,843, while hourly paid staff increased by 5% to 147. Security forces recorded a 0.7% increase in permanent staff to 8,520 and a 1.3% rise in indefinite contracts to 4,403. Hourly paid roles increased by 2.7% to 773. Employees on definite duration contracts in the security forces declined by 85.9%, from 269 to 38, following contract expirations in July 2025.

Year-To-Date Trends And Terminology Update

For January–March, civil service employment declined by 0.9%, while education increased by 1.9%. Security forces recorded a 0.2% decrease. Permanent staff increased by 0.2%, and indefinite contracts rose by 1.6%. Definite duration contracts and hourly paid roles declined by 1.2% and 0.4%. Cystat replaced the term “government” with “state employees” starting from March 2026 without affecting historical comparability.

Micron’s Strong Results Highlight Surging AI-Driven Demand For Memory Chips

Micron shares surged in premarket trading on Thursday after the company reported third-quarter results that highlighted strong demand for memory chips driven by continued investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Revenue reached $41.46 billion in the fiscal third quarter, up from $9.3 billion a year earlier and well above LSEG consensus estimates of nearly $36 billion.

The company also forecast revenue of around $50 billion for the current quarter, compared with $11.3 billion in the same period last year. Following the results, Micron shares climbed 16.4% in premarket trading, extending gains over the past year and lifting the company’s market value to about $1.2 trillion.

AI Data Centers Are Tightening The Memory Market

The company’s performance reflects a broader supply-chain shift. As hyperscalers and other large cloud operators pour capital into AI infrastructure, data centers are consuming vast quantities of memory chips. That has reduced availability for smartphones, PCs and other consumer devices, creating a supply imbalance that has lifted memory prices and supercharged Micron’s results.

Micron said Wednesday that it has signed 16 long-term agreements with customers spanning data centers and automakers, locking in sales for three to five years and generating expected financial commitments of $22 billion. For a cyclical industry long exposed to boom-and-bust demand swings, that kind of visibility is especially valuable.

RBC Capital Markets analysts estimated that about 40% of Micron’s revenue now comes from long-term contracts with minimum pricing built in. That structure should help cushion margins if demand softens over time, the analysts said, while also reducing the company’s exposure to abrupt pricing declines.

“Our base case is for current upcycle to continue through 2027, and SCAs give us added conviction regarding sustainability,” RBC analysts wrote, adding that they raised estimates, lifted their price target and reiterated an Outperform rating.

Tech Stocks Catch A Bid

Micron’s results also lifted sentiment across the semiconductor sector following a broader sell-off earlier in the week. In premarket trading, Qualcomm gained 12%, Intel rose nearly 6%, AMD advanced 3.6%, and Nvidia added 1.5%.

“U.S. equities have recovered some ground as Micron’s earnings have provided fresh reassurance that the AI investment cycle remains firmly intact,” said Capital.com senior market analyst Daniela Hathorn.

She added that continued demand from data centres and AI infrastructure customers suggests capital spending on artificial intelligence remains strong, helping restore confidence across semiconductor stocks after recent market weakness.

The latest results also highlight the increasingly important role memory chips are playing in the AI supply chain, alongside processors and software, as investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure continues to accelerate.

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