Source: cyprus-mail.com
Cyprus maintained one of the EU’s highest employment rates among people aged 20 to 64 in the second quarter of 2026, even as the overall EU rate edged up only slightly, according to Eurostat.
The employment rate in Cyprus stood at 82.3 per cent in the second quarter, unchanged from the first quarter, according to seasonally adjusted Eurostat data.
Cyprus’ rate was 5.9 percentage points above the EU average of 76.4 per cent recorded in the April-to-June period.
The EU-wide employment rate increased marginally from 76.3 per cent in the first quarter to 76.4 per cent in the second quarter.
Cyprus had recorded an employment rate of 81.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, before rising to 81.8 per cent in the fourth quarter and 82.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.
The latest figures showed that Cyprus’ employment rate had remained at its record-high level for a second consecutive quarter.
Eurostat’s figures covered people aged 20 to 64 and measured employment as a percentage of the total population in that age group.
Across the EU, labour market slack stood at 11.0 per cent of the extended labour force aged 20 to 64 in the second quarter.
Labour market slack refers to people who have an unmet need for employment, including unemployed people, and the EU-wide figure was unchanged from the first quarter.
Employment rates increased in 14 EU countries between the first and second quarters of 2026.
Portugal and Malta recorded the largest increases, with employment rates rising by 0.6 percentage points in both countries.
Greece followed with an increase of 0.5 percentage points, while Latvia and Slovenia each recorded a 0.4 percentage point rise.
The employment rate remained stable in four EU countries, including Cyprus.
It fell in nine countries, with Austria recording the largest decline at 0.4 percentage points.
Lithuania and Sweden each recorded a decrease of 0.3 percentage points.
The figures placed Cyprus among the EU countries where employment remained stable at a relatively high level, rather than following the declines recorded in several member states during the quarter.