Young NEETs in Cyprus – those not in employment, education or training – dropped to 13.8 per cent in 2023, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said on Tuesday, reiterating the government’s aim for creating conditions of full employment, a goal he believes is achievable this year.

According to the study, 400 young NEETs were located and supported, with a total of 717 meetings having been held with them.

In Cyprus, the percentage of NEETs in 2023 was still higher than the EU average.

According to Eurostat, in 2023, 11.2 per cent of people aged 15 to 29 in the EU were neither in employment nor in education and training.

The proportion NEETs of this age group in the EU in 2023 ranged from 4.8 per cent in the Netherlands to 19.3 per cent in Romania.

The project in Cyprus aimed at locating and registering at least 1,200 NEETs to provide them with personalised counselling in the form of creating CVs, mastering interview skills and guiding them towards training and employment.

The minister said the government’s policy was producing results in its first two years, as “unemployment has dropped to 5 per cent and employment is approaching 80 per cent,” while wages were gradually improving.

Panayiotou said “creating conditions of full employment was one of the most important aims of the government and it is expected that it will be achieved within 2025.”

The project is part of the labour ministry’s study to enhance employment and the social integration of young NEETs who were not registered as unemployed.

Project contractor Christina Kokkalou said 12 advisers were touring Cyprus with a coordinator and public employment service counsellors to approach, attract, guide and support NEETs.

“Employment is a fundamental pillar of the economy and social cohesion. For young people, joining the labour market is not just a matter of survival, but a source of personal satisfaction, development and social integration. However, many young people are facing difficulties due to the lack of work experience, low educational level and long periods of time away from employment,” she said.