There was a notable upswing in government employment in November 2023, reaching a total of 54,404 individuals, marking an increase of 867 individuals, reflecting a rise of 1.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, according to a report released this week by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

This surge primarily stems from an increase in the temporary personnel within the state’s educational services, the service explained.

The data unveiled a contrasting trend between permanent and temporary staff. Permanent employment observed a decrease of 722 individuals (-2.8 per cent), dropping from 25,514 to 24,792 individuals.

Conversely, temporary staffing soared by 3,174 individuals (16.2 per cent), hitting a figure of 22,800 compared to 19,626 individuals in November 2022.

Moreover, the service noted that “the rise is predominantly attributed to the increase in temporary personnel within the Educational Services, largely due to the abolition of the service procurement regime in support programmes of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth starting from the 2023-2024 school year”.

Further analysis by the Statistical Service highlighted a decrease in all categories of permanent staff, while all categories of temporary personnel witnessed an increase.

The most significant change was observed in the temporary personnel of the Educational Services, recording a remarkable 34.7 per cent increase.

Conversely, hourly paid staff showed a decline (-18.9 per cent), primarily attributed to the transfer of hourly paid staff from the Ministry of Health to the State Health Services Organisation, included in the broader Public Sector, effective from January 2023.

In comparison to October 2023, the most substantial change occurred in the temporary personnel of the Educational Services, marking a 12.1 per cent increase.

Employment across other personnel categories remained relatively stable, closely aligned with the levels observed in October 2023.

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber this week announced its participation in the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) summit titled “Shaping the Future of Shipping: Delivering a Net Zero World Summit”, held in collaboration with the Emirates Shipping Association in Dubai.

The summit, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, gathered over 300 global shipping and energy professionals, alongside policy-making bodies.

It provided a unique platform to delve into discussions on identifying and accelerating solutions to the challenges of decarbonising shipping, offering recommendations to the COP28 presidency and leaders in maritime policy-making.

Representing the Cyprus Shipping Industry were Board Member Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou and Deputy Director General Alexandros Josephides, following an official invitation from the ICS.

The chamber has been a member of the ICS for 30 years. At the national level, Cyprus was also represented by Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanoli, who engaged in a roundtable discussion following a recommendation by the chamber to the International Chamber of Shipping.

Moreover, the Cyprus Shipping Chamber reaffirmed its commitment to remaining at the forefront of developments in the shipping sector, actively contributing to the ongoing dialogue towards shaping a future with zero CO2 emissions.

It concluded by saying that it aims to ensure the sustainability and growth rate of the shipping industry.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) ended Tuesday, December 12 with losses.

The general Cyprus Stock Market Index was at 134.78 points at 13:27 during the day, reflecting a decrease of 0.95 per cent over the previous day of trading.

The FTSE / CySE 20 Index was at 81.84 points, representing a drop of 0.96 per cent.

The total value of transactions came up to €135,583 until the aforementioned time during trading.

In terms of the sub-indexes, the main, alternative and investment firm indexes fell by 1.05 per cent, 0.45 per cent and 0.71 per cent respectively. The hotel index remained stable.

The biggest investment interest was attracted by the Bank of Cyprus (-2.33 per cent), Hellenic Bank (-0.44 per cent), Louis (-4 per cent), Demetra Holdings (-0.73 per cent, and Chris Ioannou (-9.78 per cent).