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07-06-2023 13:53

Labour Force Survey (LFS): 1st Quarter 2023


Unemployment 6,8%

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey, the labour force in the 1st quarter of 2023 amounted to 492.230 persons or 65,6% of the population (males 70,8%, females 60,8%) in comparison to 474.631 persons (64,3%) in the corresponding quarter of 2022 (Table 1).

The number of employed persons was 458.835 and the employment rate 61,2% (males 66,4%, females 56,4%) in comparison to 443.327 persons (60,1%) in the corresponding quarter of 2022.

The number of unemployed persons amounted to 33.394 and the unemployment rate to 6,8% of the labour force (males 6,3%, females 7,3%) in comparison to 31.305 persons (6,6%) in the corresponding quarter of 2022.

 

 

Employment (Table 2)

For the age group 20-64, the employment rate was 78,6%. The rate for males was 83,9% and for females 73,7%. In the corresponding quarter of 2022, the rate was 77,3% (males 83,6%, females 71,3%). For the age group 55-64 the employment rate was 65,6% in comparison to 63,6% in the corresponding quarter of 2022.

According to the distribution of employment by sector, the biggest percentage of employed persons was in Services (80,7%), followed by Manufacturing (16,9%) and Agriculture (2,4%). For the 1st quarter of 2022, the corresponding percentages were: Services 80,4%, Manufacturing 17,2% and Agriculture 2,4%.

The share of part-time employment to total employment was 9,9% or 45.308 persons (males 7,4%, females 12,5%). The corresponding rate for the 1st quarter of 2022 was 10,8% (males 8,7%, females 13,2%).

89,2% or 409.471 of the total employed persons were employees, of which 12,1% (49.358 persons) had a temporary job. In the corresponding quarter of 2022 employees accounted for 88,9% of total employment of which 11,5% had a temporary job.


Unemployment
(Table 3)

For young persons aged 15-24 years old, the unemployment rate was 16,0% of the labour force of the same age group (males 18,7%, females 13,4%) in comparison to 17,7% (males 19,3%, females 16,2%) in the corresponding quarter of last year.

As far as the duration of unemployment is concerned, 51,1% of the total unemployed persons searched for a job for a period of less than 6 months, 16,7% for a period of 6-11 months, whereas a percentage of 32,2% were long-term unemployed. The corresponding rates for the 1st quarter of 2022 were 50,7%, 15,0% and 34,3%.

Table 1

 

Number

Percentage (%)

1st Quarter 2023

1st Quarter2022

1st Quarter 2023

1st Quarter2022

Labour Force

 

 

 

 

Total

492.230

474.631

65,6

64,3

Males

254.527

249.989

70,8

70,6

Females

237.702

224.644

60,8

58,6

Employment

 

 

 

 

Total

458.835

443.327

61,2

60,1

Males

238.537

234.681

66,4

66,3

Females

220.298

208.646

56,4

54,4

Unemployment

 

 

 

 

Total

33.394

31.305

6,8

6,6

Males

15.990

15.307

6,3

6,1

Females

17.404

15.997

7,3

7,1

 

Table 2

Employment

Number

Percentage (%)

1st Quarter 2023

1st Quarter2022

1st Quarter 2023

1st Quarter 2022

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15+

458.835

238.537

220.298

443.327

234.681

208.646

61,2

66,4

56,4

60,1

66,3

54,4

20–64

439.713

226.093

213.619

425.354

222.322

203.032

78,6

83,9

73,7

77,3

83,6

71,3

55–64

71.227

40.946

30.281

67.637

39.304

28.333

65,6

76,1

55,3

63,6

74,8

52,7

Sector

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture

11.071

9.102

1.970

10.469

8.591

1.879

2,4

3,8

0,9

2,4

3,6

0,9

Industry

77.640

59.414

18.226

76.285

61.162

15.123

16,9

24,9

8,3

17,2

26,1

7,2

Services

370.124

170.022

200.102

356.573

164.928

191.644

80,7

71,3

90,8

80,4

70,3

91,9

 Full-time

413.527

220.833

192.694

395.398

214.321

181.076

90,1

92,6

87,5

89,2

91,3

86,8

 Part-time

45.308

17.704

27.604

47.929

20.360

27.569

9,9

7,4

12,5

10,8

8,7

13,2

Prof. Status

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self-employed

49.364

28.824

20.539

49.414

30.162

19.252

10,8

12,1

9,3

11,1

12,9

9,2

Employees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Total

409.471

209.713

199.759

393.913

204.519

189.394

89,2

87,9

90,7

88,9

87,1

90,8

 Permanent

360.113

190.285

169.828

348.640

189.210

159.430

87,9

90,7

85,0

88,5

92,5

84,2

 Temporary

49.358

19.428

29.930

45.273

15.309

29.963

12,1

9,3

15,0

11,5

7,5

15,8

 

Table 3

Unemployment

Number

Percentage (%)

1st Quarter 2023

1st Quarter 2022

1st Quarter 2023

1st Quarter 2022

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Tot.

Male

Fem.

Age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15+

33.394

15.990

17.404

31.305

15.307

15.997

6,8

6,3

7,3

6,6

6,1

7,1

15–24

6.543

3.702

2.841

6.867

3.705

3.163

16,0

18,7

13,4

17,7

19,3

16,2

25–64

26.555

12.085

14.470

24.342

11.507

12.835

6,1

5,4

6,8

5,8

5,2

6,4

Duration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

< 6 months

17.075

7.649

9.427

15.883

7.714

8.170

51,1

47,9

54,2

50,7

50,4

51,1

6–11 months

5.584

2.723

2.860

4.681

1.928

2.753

16,7

17,0

16,4

15,0

12,6

17,2

12+ months

10.734

5.618

5.117

10.740

5.666

5.074

32,2

35,1

29,4

34,3

37,0

31,7

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.


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:

Employed - up to 2020

(persons 15 years and over)

Employed - as from 2021 onwards

(persons 15 - 89 years old)

(a) Persons who, during the reference week, worked for at least 1 hour for pay or profit. Unpaid family workers are also included.

(a) Persons who, during the reference week, worked for at least 1 hour for pay or profit. Unpaid family workers are also included.

(b) Persons who had a job from which they were temporarily absent during the reference week:

- due to sick leave or maternity or paternity leave,

 - due to other reasons with duration of absence 3 months or less,

 - due to other reasons with duration of absence longer than 3 months and receiving at least 50% of their salary.

(b) Persons who had a job from which they were temporarily absent during the reference week:

- due to holidays or leave, working time arrangements, sick leave, maternity or paternity leave or job-related training,

 - due to other reasons with duration of absence 3 months or less,

 - seasonal workers who continue to perform regular duties for their job during the off-season

Unemployed - up to 2020

(persons 15 - 74 years old)

Unemployed - as from 2021 onwards

(persons 15 - 74 years old)

- Persons who do not meet the criteria for employment (above)

and

- are available to start work within 2 weeks

and

 - seeking for a job or have already found a job which will start within a period of at most 3 months.

- Persons who do not meet the criteria for employment (above)

and

- are available to start work within 2 weeks

and

 - are actively seeking for a job or have already found a job which will start within a period of at most 3 months.

 

The above changes in the regulations have not affected the results of the LFS, from 2021 onwards. A special study conducted to check the above changes in the regulations shows that the implementation of the new regulation from 2021 onwards had no impact on the results of the LFS.

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 – 74 years old 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 the file: Differences in employment estimates

 

For more information:

CYSTAT Portal, subtheme Labour Market

CYSTAT-DB (Online Database)

Predefined Tables (Excel)

Methodological Information

The data included in the Predefined Tables in Excel format are available up to the 4th quarter of 2021. Data from the 1st quarter of 2022 onwards are available only in the CYSTAT-DB Online Database.

 

Contact:

Maria Hadjiprokopi, tel: +35722602146, email: mhadjiprokopi@cystat.mof.gov.cy

Christophoros Michaelides, tel: +35722602154, email: cmichaelides@cystat.mof.gov.cy

 

(MV/ECHR)