Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus recorded an improvement in its labour market in the first quarter of 2026, with the unemployment rate falling to 4 per cent from 5 per cent in the same period last year.
Unemployment declines
According to results published by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), the number of unemployed people fell to 21,246. This compared with 26,161 unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a reduction in joblessness across the country.
Employment rises
Employment continued to increase during the period, reaching 510,265 persons, up from 493,272 in the corresponding quarter of 2025. As a result, the employment rate rose to 62.1 per cent from 61.2 per cent a year earlier.
Labour force expands
The labour force also grew to 531,511 persons, or 64.7 per cent of the population, compared with 519,433 persons and a rate of 64.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2025.
Gender and age data
The decrease in unemployment was recorded among both men and women, with the unemployment rate at 4 per cent for both genders. The employment rate among people aged 20 to 64 increased to 81.5 per cent from 80 per cent last year.