Press Releases

Unemployment 8,4%

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey, the labour force in the 2^nd quarter of 2021 amounted to 466.525 persons or 63,9% of the population (males 70,4%, females 57,9%) in comparison to 448.466 persons (62,2%) in the corresponding quarter of 2020 (Table 1).

The number of employed persons was 427.300 and the employment rate 58,5% (males 65,1%, females 52,4%) in comparison to 418.015 persons (58,0%) in the corresponding quarter of 2020.

The number of unemployed persons amounted to 39.224 and the unemployment rate to 8,4% of the labour force (males 7,5%, females 9,5%) in comparison to 30.451 persons (6,8%) in the corresponding quarter of 2020.
 

Employment (Table 2)

For the age group 20-64, the employment rate was 75,2%. The rate for males was 81,9% and for females 69,0%. In the corresponding quarter of 2020 the rate was 75,2% (males 81,1%, females 69,6%). For the age group 55-64 the employment rate was 62,2% in comparison to 61,0% in the corresponding quarter of 2020.

According to the distribution of employment by sector, the biggest percentage of employed persons was in Services (78,5%), followed by Manufacturing (18,6%) and Agriculture (2,9%). For the 2^nd quarter of 2020, the corresponding percentages were: Services 77,1%, Manufacturing 20,0% and Agriculture 2,9%.

The share of part-time employment to total employment was 11,4% or 48.505 persons (males 10,1%, females 12,8%). The corresponding rate for the 2^nd quarter of 2020 was 10,7% (males 7,4%, females 14,4%).

88,1% or 376.440 of the total employed persons were employees, of which 13,1% (49.461 persons) had a temporary job. In the corresponding quarter of 2020 employees accounted for 86,6% of total employment of which 13,8% 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 14,8%, females 19,3%) in comparison to 17,8% (males 21,8%, females 14,1%) in the corresponding quarter of last year.

As far as the duration of unemployment is concerned, 40,5% of the total unemployed persons searched for a job for a period of less than 6 months, 24,0% for a period of 6-11 months, whereas a percentage of 35,5% were long-term unemployed. The corresponding rates for the 2^nd quarter of 2020 were 57,6%, 15,3% and 27,1%.

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 every quarter in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which entered into force on 1.1.2021. Until 2020, the LFS was conducted in accordance with Regulation 577/98 of the Council of the European Union. In Cyprus the survey was carried out in 1999 for the first time and until 2003 it was conducted in the second quarter of every year. As from the second quarter of 2004 onwards, the LFS is conducted every quarter, on a continuous basis.

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 programmes that are applied both by 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 as well as students who study abroad and Cypriots who work abroad.

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

Recent methodological changes

With the adoption of the new European Regulation on Social Statistics (2019/1700), the LFS is conducted with significant changes in the design and implementation of the questionnaire, so that it is fully harmonized with this new regulation. The most important changes in employment and unemployment, in the context of the adoption of the new regulation are:

The above changes to regulations do not seem at this stage to have any effect on the LFS results from 2021 onwards. At the same time, a study is being carried out which is in progress and will be completed by the end of 2021 and which will indicate with certainty whether these changes caused any impact on the results of the survey.

It is noted that, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has affected both employment and unemployment, as the measures taken by the government for the restrain of the pandemic have affected businesses of various economic activities, (e.g. total or partial suspension of operation). As a result, persons employed in these businesses did not work for a significant period of time (more than 3 months) and therefore were not considered as employed. Additionally, persons who were not employed were not actively seeking for work (since there were no jobs) although they were available to work within 2 weeks following the reference week and hence were not considered as unemployed.

Definitions

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

Employed - Persons aged 15 – 89 years old 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 – 74 years old 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 or 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.

Employment estimation LFS Vs National Accounts

National Accounts employment estimates differ from the results of other statistics and surveys, especially from those obtained from the LFS. In particular, there are differences due to both integration of sources and conceptual reasons.

The differences are presented in a relevant document.

Further information:

Statistical Service (CYSTAT) Website, subthemes Employment and Unemployment

Contact

Maria Hadjiprokopi: Τel: +35722602146, Email: mhadjiprokopi@cystat.mof.gov.cy

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

(MV/IK)