Cyprus job vacancy rate stood at 3 per cent in third quarter

Cyprus recorded one of the highest job vacancy rates in the European Union in the third quarter of 2025, despite a general easing of labour demand across Europe, according to figures released by Eurostat to track labour market conditions.

Eurostat said the job vacancy rate in Cyprus stood at 3.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, placing the country fifth among EU member states with comparable data and well above both the euro area and EU averages.

Across the euro area, the job vacancy rate fell to 2.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, down from 2.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2025 and from 2.5 per cent in the same quarter of 2024.

In the EU as a whole, the rate declined to 2.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, compared with 2.1 per cent in the previous quarter and 2.3 per cent a year earlier.

Within the euro area, vacancies accounted for 2.0 per cent of all posts in industry and construction and 2.3 per cent in services, reflecting stronger labour demand in service-based activities.

A similar pattern was recorded across the EU, where the job vacancy rate reached 1.8 per cent in industry and construction and 2.1 per cent in services.

Among individual member states, the highest job vacancy rates were observed in the Netherlands at 4.1 per cent and Belgium at 3.8 per cent, followed by Malta at 3.4 per cent, Austria at 3.2 per cent and Cyprus at 3.0 per cent.

At the lower end of the scale, Romania recorded a vacancy rate of 0.6 per cent, while Bulgaria and Poland both stood at 0.8 per cent, followed by Spain at 0.9 per cent and Slovakia and Finland at 1.0 per cent.

Compared with the third quarter of 2024, the job vacancy rate increased in only three EU member states, remained unchanged in four and declined in twenty, highlighting a broad cooling of labour demand.

Increases were recorded in Malta by 0.3 percentage points, Lithuania by 0.2 percentage points and Ireland by 0.1 percentage points.

Eurostat said that, excluding the Czech Republic due to a methodological break in early 2025, the largest annual declines were seen in Germany and Austria, both down by 0.6 percentage points.

They were followed by Cyprus and Latvia, each down by 0.5 percentage points.

Belgium and Finland also recorded notable decreases of 0.4 percentage points each over the same period.

By economic activity, the highest job vacancy rates in both the euro area and the EU were found in administrative and support service activities, including temporary employment agencies, at 3.3 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively.

Construction followed with vacancy rates of 3.0 per cent in the euro area and 2.7 per cent in the EU, while professional, scientific and technical activities recorded 2.6 per cent and 2.4 per cent.

Accommodation and food service activities also remained under pressure, with rates of 2.4 per cent in the euro area and 2.3 per cent in the EU, while information and communication activities stood at 2.3 per cent and 2.2 per cent.

For Cyprus, the figures underline continued labour shortages in key parts of the economy, even as vacancy rates ease across much of the European Union.