Press Releases

Unemployment 10,1% 

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey, the labour force in the 4^th quarter of 2017 amounted to 427.264 persons or 61,5% of the population (males 66,3%, females 57,2%) in comparison to 422.997 persons (61,9%) in the corresponding quarter of 2016 (Table 1).

The number of employed persons was 384.151 and the employment rate 55,3% (males 59,4%, females 51,6%) in comparison to 368.694 persons (53,9%) in the corresponding quarter of 2016.

The number of unemployed persons amounted to 43.113 and the unemployment rate to 10,1% of the labour force (males 10,4%, females 9,8%) in comparison with 54.303 persons (12,8%) in the corresponding quarter of 2016.

Employment (Table 2)

For the age group 20-64, the employment rate was 71,4%. The rate for males was 75,6% and for females 67,6%. In the corresponding quarter of 2016 the rate was 69,4% (males 74,7%, females 64,4%). For the age group 55-64 the employment rate was 57,7% in comparison to 53,5% in the corresponding quarter of 2016.

According to the distribution of employment by sector, the biggest percentage of employed persons was in Services (81,2%), followed by Manufacturing (16,5%) and Agriculture (2,3%). For the 4th quarter of 2016, the corresponding percentages were: Services 79,4%, Manufacturing 17,4% and Agriculture 3,2%.

The share of part-time employment to total employment was 12,7% or 48.816 persons (males 9,2%, females 16,4%). The corresponding rate for the 4^th quarter of 2016 was 14,6% (males 12,0%, females 17,6%).

86,8% or 333.555 of the total employed persons were employees, of which 14,9% (49.535 persons) had a temporary job. In the corresponding quarter of 2016 employees accounted for 86,2% of total employment of which 14,6% had a temporary job.

Unemployment (Table 3)

For young persons aged 15-24 years old, the unemployment rate was 22,9% of the labour force of the same age group (males 26,7%, females 19,7%) in comparison to 29,8% (males 22,4%, females 36,0%) in the corresponding quarter of last year.

As far as the duration of unemployment is concerned, 53,4% of the total unemployed persons searched for a job for a period of less than 6 months, 12,9% for a period of 6-11 months, whereas a percentage of 33,7% were long-term unemployed. The corresponding rates for the 4^th quarter of 2016 were 39,0%, 16,2% and 44,8%.

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, Email: echristodoulidou@cystat.mof.gov.cy

Christophoros Michaelides: Τel: +35722602154, Email: cmichaelides@cystat.mof.gov.cy

(AH)