YOUTH EMPLOYMENT - CYPRUS WINS THE BET - WHAT EUROSTAT DATA SHOW - Filenews 22/4 by Angelos Angelodimou
Artificial intelligence may be considered a key factor in reducing employment in a significant number of professions, but it is also an opportunity to strengthen it in new professions.
The development of new skills by people who will be able to handle the basic tools offered by artificial intelligence is the challenge of the labour market for the coming years. As a result, linking education to the labour market is more necessary than ever.
All of the above, on the occasion of the data released yesterday by Eurostat on youth employment at EU level, on the occasion of World Creativity and Innovation Day on April 21. According to the data, the rates of our country in the field of youth employment are considered quite satisfactory. It is known that the high rates of youth unemployment and long-term unemployment were the big thorns in the labour market of Cyprus. Percentages, which have improved significantly, with the result that today Cyprus achieves enviable numbers in youth employment.
Young people 20 – 29 years old
The employment rate of people aged 20–29 in Cyprus stood at 72.3% in 2025, according to data published yesterday by Eurostat. For the same year, the percentage of self-employed young people aged 20–29 stood at 3.8%, while the total number of self-employed in the age group 20–64 amounted to 41,400 people.
At EU level, in 2025 around 2.06 million people aged 20–29 were self-employed, representing 7.9% of all self-employed persons aged 20–64. According to Eurostat, data show that self-employment among young people remains a significant but minority part of business activity in the EU. Among Member States, the highest shares of young entrepreneurs among the self-employed were recorded in Slovakia with 12.2%, Malta with 10.5% and Romania with 10.3%. In contrast, the lowest rates were recorded in Ireland with 5.1%, Bulgaria with 5.3% and Spain with 5.9%.
In terms of total youth employment, the share in the EU stood at 65.6% in 2025, up by 6.3 percentage points compared to 2015. At the European level, the highest employment rates for the 20–29 age group were recorded in the Netherlands with 84.0%, Malta with 82.1% and Germany with 77.0%. On the other hand, the lowest rates were recorded in Italy with 47.6%, Romania with 52.0% and Bulgaria with 52.7%.
The number of unemployed in 2026
It is recalled that, a few days ago, the Statistical Service announced that based on the data kept in the District Labour Offices, the number of registered unemployed at the end of March 2026 amounted to 11.243 people. Based on seasonally adjusted data, the number of registered unemployed in March 2026 increased to 10,090 people, compared to 9,936 in the previous month. Compared to March 2025, an increase of 170 people or 1,5% was recorded.
The number of registered unemployed at the end of February 2026 amounted to 12,273 people. Based on seasonally adjusted data, the number of unemployed in February 2026 decreased to 9,773 people, compared to 9,832 in the previous month. Compared to February 2025, a decrease of 488 people or 3,8% was recorded. In January, the number of unemployed people rose to 12,650 people. Based on seasonally adjusted data, the number of unemployed decreased to 9,848 people, compared to 9,863 in the previous month. Compared to January 2025, a decrease of 497 people or 3,8% was recorded.
Positive course in the labour market
According to the Strategic Plan 2026-2028 of the Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus, the labour market in recent years has seen a steady positive trend, which has resulted in the improvement of all relevant indicators. Unemployment showed an extremely large decrease from 2015 (14.9%) to 2019 (7.1%), in 2020 it recorded a slight increase and amounted to 7.6%, in 2021 it decreased to 7.1%, while in 2022, 2023 and 2024 it showed a further decrease to 6.2%, 5.8% and 4.9%, respectively.
According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Finance, unemployment is expected to continue its downward trend and fall to 4.7% in 2025, 4.7% in 2026, 4.6% in 2027 and 4.8% in 2028, i.e. conditions of almost full employment. It is noted that youth unemployment (15-24 years old) continues to be a challenge to the labour market, despite the significant decrease in 2024 to 13.0%, compared to 16.6% in 2023 and 18.1% in 2022.
