Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus recorded a 7.6 per cent annual rise in registered unemployment in May 2026, while the number of people officially listed as unemployed declined from the previous month, according to the Statistical Service (Cystat).
Monthly and annual figures
The number of unemployed persons registered at district labour offices reached 7,936 on the last day of May 2026, down from 8,962 in April. Compared with May 2025, when the figure stood at 7,378, registered unemployment increased by 558 persons.
Seasonally adjusted data also showed a slight monthly improvement. According to Cystat, the number of registered unemployed fell to 10,476 persons in May, from 10,516 in April.
This followed a seasonally adjusted figure of 10,257 in March, 10,085 in February and 10,089 in January.
Sectors driving the increase
Cystat said the annual increase was mainly driven by accommodation and food service activities, administrative and support service activities, transportation and storage, as well as professional, scientific and technical activities.
In accommodation and food service activities, the number of registered unemployed rose to 1,177 in May 2026, compared with 934 in May 2025. The figure was below the 1,986 recorded in April.
Administrative and support service activities increased to 431 in May, from 337 a year earlier, while declining from 519 in April.
Transportation and storage stood at 323 in May, compared with 264 in May 2025, after falling from 453 in April.
In professional, scientific and technical activities, registered unemployed persons reached 812, up from 754 a year earlier and slightly below the 816 recorded in April.
Other annual increases
Information and communication rose to 455 registered unemployed persons, from 416 in May 2025.
Public administration and defence, compulsory social security increased to 706, from 658.
