Nicosia: Unemployment percentage is recorded at the lowest point since 2008, at 3.6% in the second quarter of 2026, according to data published by the Statistical Service on Thursday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the results of the Labour Force Survey show that the labour force in the second quarter of 2026 amounted to 540,130 persons or 65.6% of the population (males 70.9%, females 60.5%) compared to 528,981 persons (65.4%) in the corresponding quarter of 2025. The number of employed persons was 520,763 and the employment rate 63.2% (males 68.5%, females 58.3%) compared to 506,318 persons (62.6%) in the corresponding quarter of 2025. The number of unemployed persons amounted to 19,367 and the unemployment rate to 3.6% of the labour force (males 3.5%, females 3.7%) compared to 22,663 persons (4.3%) in the corresponding quarter of 2025, marking the lowest point since the fourth quarter of 2008.
For the age group 20-64, the employment rate was reported at 82.8%, with males at 87.8% and females at 78.1%. In the corresponding quarter of 2025, the rate was 81.7% (males 87%, females 76.5%). For the age group 55-64, the employment rate was 72.6% compared to 71.5% in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Regarding the distribution of employment by sector, the largest percentage of employed persons was in Services (81.8%), followed by Manufacturing (16.2%) and Agriculture (2%). For the second quarter of 2025, the corresponding percentages were: Services 81.2%, Manufacturing 16.6%, and Agriculture 2.2%.
The share of part-time employment to total employment was 8.7% or 45,178 persons (males 7.6%, females 9.9%). The corresponding rate for the second quarter of 2025 was 9.4% (males 7.1%, females 12%). A significant 89.8% or 467,712 of the total employed persons were employees, of which 15.7% (73,306 persons) had a temporary job. In the corresponding quarter of 2025, employees accounted for 90% of total employment of which 14.3% had a temporary job.
For young persons aged 15-24 years old, the unemployment rate was 12.2% of the labour force of the same age group (males 12%, females 12.4%) compared to 14.9% (males 15.8%, females 13.9%) in the corresponding quarter of last year. In terms of the duration of unemployment, 62.4% of the total unemployed persons searched for a job for a period of less than six months, 16.5% for a period of 6-11 months, while 21.1% were long-term unemployed. The corresponding rates for the second quarter of 2025 were 55.9%, 23%, and 21.1%.