Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus recorded the strongest quarterly increase in employment in the European Union in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Eurostat data released on Friday. The employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 rose to 82.1% from 81.5% in the third quarter.
Largest quarterly rise in the EU
Eurostat said the 0.6 percentage point increase in Cyprus was the biggest among EU member states over the quarter. Across the EU, the employment rate edged up to 76.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 76.2% in the previous quarter.
Cyprus among top employment performers
Cyprus remained above the EU average and ranked among the bloc’s top performers. Only Malta and the Netherlands, both at 83.5%, and Czech Republic at 82.7% recorded higher employment rates than Cyprus in the final quarter of the year.
Cyprus was followed by Estonia and Sweden, both at 81.8%, while Germany stood at 81.4%.
Lowest employment rates in the EU
The lowest employment rates in the EU were recorded in Italy at 67.5%, Romania at 68.9%, Greece at 71.6%, Belgium at 72.5%, and Spain at 72.8%.
Quarterly changes across member states
Eurostat said Cyprus, along with Austria, Latvia, Greece and Spain, was among the 11 member states where employment rose during the quarter. Austria, Latvia, Greece and Spain each recorded increases of 0.4 percentage points.
By contrast, the employment rate remained unchanged in Germany, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands and Slovenia, while it declined in 11 EU countries. The sharpest decrease was recorded in Luxembourg, where the employment rate fell from 74% to 72.9%, a drop of 1.1 percentage points.
How do you think Cyprus’ employment performance in Q4 2025 compares with trends in other EU countries?