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According to the results of the Labour Force Survey, the labour force in the 3^rd quarter of 2018 amounted to 442.456 persons or 63,1% of the population (males 69,1%, females 57,6%), in comparison to 429.128 persons (61,9%) in the corresponding quarter of 2017 (Table 1).

The number of employed persons was 407.728 and the employment rate 58,2% (males 64,2%, females 52,6%) in comparison to 386.408 persons (55,8%) in the corresponding quarter of 2017.

The number of unemployed persons amounted to 34.728 and the unemployment rate to 7,8% of the labour force (males 7,1%, females 8,7%) in comparison with 42.720 persons (10,0%) in the corresponding quarter of 2017.

Employment (Table 2)

For the age group 20-64, the employment rate was 74,6%. The rate for males was 80,8% and for females 69,0%. In the corresponding quarter of 2017 the rate was 71,9% (males 77,0%, females 67,2%). For the age group 55-64 the employment rate was 62,2% in comparison to 57,8% in the corresponding quarter of 2017.

According to the distribution of employment by sector, the biggest percentage of employed persons was in Services (81,1%), followed by Manufacturing (16,4%) and Agriculture (2,5%). For the 3^rd quarter of 2017, the corresponding percentages were: Services 80,7%, Manufacturing 16,7% and Agriculture 2,6%.

The share of part-time employment to total employment was 10,6% or 43.321 persons (males 7,9%, females 13,7%). The corresponding rate for the 3^rd quarter of 2017 was 11,9% (males 9,4%, females 14,7%).

86,7% or 353.662 of the total employed persons were employees, of which 14,0% (49.499 persons) had a temporary job. In the corresponding quarter of 2017 employees accounted for 87,3% of total employment of which 16,6% had a temporary job.

Unemployment (Table 3)

For young persons aged 15-24 years old, the unemployment rate was 17,0% of the labour force of the same age group (males 20,4%, females 14,3%) in comparison to 24,0% (males 26,7%, females 22,0%) in the corresponding quarter of last year.

As far as the duration of unemployment is concerned, 54,5% of the total unemployed persons searched for a job for a period of less than 6 months, 13,4% for a period of 6-11 months, whereas a percentage of 32,1% were long-term unemployed. The corresponding rates for the 3^rd quarter of 2017 were 40,9%, 15,6% and 43,5%.

Note: Figures may not add up to totals due to rounding error.

METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Survey Identity

The Labour Force survey (LFS) is conducted in all European Union Member States in accordance with Council Regulation 577/98 of the European Union every quarter. The aim of the survey is the collection of data which are useful in the formulation of policy on labour matters (employment, unemployment) and for pursuing and evaluating of the programs that are applied both by the Government and by the European Union.

Coverage and collection of data

The LFS covers a sample of 3.800 households in all districts of Cyprus, which are allocated according to the number of households that reside in urban and rural areas. For comparability of the results, in all Member States, the survey covers the population of private households only. It does not cover persons residing in collective households (i.e. institutions, homes for the aged, hospitals, monasteries etc.), conscripts on compulsory military service, students who study abroad and Cypriots who work abroad.

The collection of data from the Statistical Service is done with personal interviews and the use of portable computers as well as with telephone interviews.

Definitions

Labour Force / Economically Active Population: The total number of the employed and unemployed persons aged 15 years and over.

Employed: Persons aged 15 years and over who during the reference week worked for at least one hour, as well as persons who had a job but were temporarily absent from work.

Unemployed: Persons aged 15 years and over who comply to the following standards:

• Neither worked nor had a job from which they were temporarily absent during the reference week

• They had actively sought for work, i.e. had taken specific steps during the previous 4 weeks to find work

• They were available to start work within the 2 weeks following the reference week, and or,

• Persons who neither worked nor had a job from which they were temporarily absent, but found a job which will start within a period of at most 3 months

• They were available to start work within the 2 weeks following the reference week

Long-term unemployed: Persons aged 15 years and over who searched for work for a period of 12 months or more.

Inactive: Persons aged 15 years and over who are neither employed nor unemployed.

Labour Force participation rate: The number of persons in the Labour Force for any group expressed as a percentage of the total population in the same group.

Employment rate: The number of employed persons for any group expressed as a percentage of the total population in the same group.

Unemployment rate: The number of unemployed persons of any group expressed as a percentage of the labour force in the same group. 

Further information:

Eleni Christodoulidou: Tel.: +35722602142, E-mail: echristodoulidou@cystat.mof.gov.cy

Christophoros Michaelides: Τel.: +35722602154, E-mail: cmichaelides@cystat.mof.gov.cy