Nicosia, Cyprus. Total employment in Cyprus increased by 2 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, reaching an estimated 513,367 people, according to the state statistical service, Cystat. The figures were published in a press statement on employment and national accounts for the period.
Employment figures
Cystat estimated total employment in the first quarter of 2026 at 513,367 persons. Of this total, 460,476 were employees and 52,891 were self-employed.
Compared with the corresponding quarter of 2025, total employment rose by 2 per cent.
Sector increases
The strongest increases in employment were recorded in wholesale and retail trade, the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, information and communication, and construction.
Hours worked
The data also showed an increase in the number of hours worked. Actual hours worked during the first quarter of 2026 were estimated at 238,274,000, representing an increase of 2.5 per cent compared with the same quarter of 2025.
The largest increases in hours worked were observed in wholesale and retail trade, the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, information and communication, and construction.
