Job vacancies in Cyprus saw a substantial increase of 17.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

They also increased by 5.7 per cent when compared to the first quarter of 2023.

The total number of job vacancies during the second quarter of 2023 stood at 13,027, marking a surge of 1,914 vacancies (17.2 per cent) compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year when vacancies numbered 11,113.

In addition, there was an increase of 699 job openings (5.7 per cent) compared to the first quarter of 2023.

During the second quarter of 2023, the job vacancy rate as a percentage of the total number of employees and job vacancies was 2.9 per cent, slightly higher than the previous quarter (2.8 per cent) and the same quarter in 2022 (2.7 per cent).

The sectors with the highest job vacancy rates in the second quarter of 2023 were Accommodation and Food Service Activities (7.3 per cent), Transportation and Storage (4.5 per cent), and Electricity, Gas, Steam, and Air Conditioning Supply (4.1 per cent).