Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus was among the EU member states that recorded the highest increase in employment in the first quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat data published on Friday. The EU employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 rose to 76.3 per cent from 76.2 per cent in the previous quarter.
EU employment and labour market figures
In the first quarter of 2026, labour market slack in the EU stood at 10.9 per cent of the extended labour force aged 20 to 64, down from 11 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Labour market slack includes all persons who have an unmet need for employment, including unemployed people.
Countries with the largest employment increases
Between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, Italy recorded the largest increase in the employment rate at 0.5 percentage points. Belgium, Cyprus, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden each registered increases of 0.4 percentage points, placing them among the 11 EU countries where employment rose.
Countries with stable or declining employment
The employment rate remained unchanged in six EU countries and fell in 10 others. The largest decreases were recorded in Latvia at 0.8 percentage points, Ireland at 0.7 percentage points, and Slovenia and Finland at 0.3 percentage points each.
