Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.2% in January 2026, remaining below both the euro area and EU averages, according to Eurostat.
Euro area and EU unemployment trends
Eurostat reported that the euro area unemployment rate declined to 6.1% in January 2026 from 6.2% in December 2025 and 6.3% in January 2025.
Across the EU, the unemployment rate eased to 5.8% in January 2026, down from 5.9% in December 2025 and 6.0% in January 2025.
Number of unemployed and monthly changes
Eurostat estimated that approximately 12.93 million people in the EU were unemployed in January 2026, of whom 10.77 million were in the euro area.
Compared with December 2025, unemployment fell by 185,000 people in the EU and by 184,000 in the euro area.
Annual comparison
Compared with January 2025, unemployment decreased by 274,000 in the EU and by 273,000 in the euro area.
Cyprus unemployment level and rate
For Cyprus, the number of unemployed persons in January 2026 was estimated at approximately 23,000, unchanged from January 2025 but slightly higher than the 22,000 recorded in December 2025.
The unemployment rate in Cyprus had stood at 4.5% in January 2025, indicating an annual improvement of 0.3 percentage points.
Youth unemployment
Youth unemployment across the EU showed a marginal improvement in January 2026.
A total of 2.92 million young people under the age of 25 were unemployed in the EU, of whom 2.35 million were in the euro area.
How does Cyprus’ unemployment rate compare with your expectations for January 2026?
