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Unemployment 8,8%

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey, the labour force in the 1^st quarter of 2019 amounted to 448.369 persons or 63,2% of the population (males 68,7%, females 58,0%) in comparison to 432.566 persons (62,0%) in the corresponding quarter of 2018 (Table 1).

The number of employed persons was 409.117 and the employment rate 57,6% (males 63,4%, females 52,2%) in comparison to 386.098 persons (55,3%) in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

The number of unemployed persons amounted to 39.252 and the unemployment rate to 8,8% of the labour force (males 7,7%, females 9,9%) in comparison with 46.468 persons (10,7%) in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

Employment (Table 2)

For the age group 20-64, the employment rate was 74,5%. The rate for males was 80,4% and for females 69,0%. In the corresponding quarter of 2018 the rate was 71,5% (males 76,1%, females 67,2%). For the age group 55-64 the employment rate was 59,0% in comparison to 58,7% in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

According to the distribution of employment by sector, the biggest percentage of employed persons was in Services (80,0%), followed by Manufacturing (17,9%) and Agriculture (2,1%). For the 1^st quarter of 2018, the corresponding percentages were: Services 81,2%, Manufacturing 16,8% and Agriculture 2,0%.

The share of part-time employment to total employment was 12,0% or 49.001 persons (males 8,6%, females 15,8%). The corresponding rate for the 1^st quarter of 2018 was 12,8% (males 9,5%, females 16,2%).

86,2% or 352.695 of the total employed persons were employees, of which 11,8% (41.508 persons) had a temporary job. In the corresponding quarter of 2018 employees accounted for 86,4% of total employment of which 13,2% had a temporary job.

Unemployment (Table 3)

For young persons aged 15-24 years old, the unemployment rate was 19,8% of the labour force of the same age group (males 22,1%, females 18,0%) in comparison to 25,3% (males 30,2%, females 21,7%) in the corresponding quarter of last year.

As far as the duration of unemployment is concerned, 63,4% of the total unemployed persons searched for a job for a period of less than 6 months, 11,7% for a period of 6-11 months, whereas a percentage of 24,9% were long-term unemployed. The corresponding rates for the 1^st quarter of 2018 were 56,6%, 13,6% and 29,8%.

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:

Statistical Service (CYSTAT) Website, subthemes Employment and Unemployment

Contact

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

Eleni Christodoulidou: Tel: +35722602142, Email: echristodoulidou@cystat.mof.gov.cy

(MG)