Gender employment gap persists in Cyprus despite recent jobs growth

Cyprus recorded an employment rate of 81.3 per cent in 2025, placing it well above the EU average of 76.1 per cent, according to a report from Eurostat released on Friday.

The figures highlight Cyprus’ strong labour market performance, with the country exceeding the bloc’s average at a time when employment across the European Union reached a record high since the start of the time series in 2009.

In total, 197.7 million people aged 20 to 64 were employed across the EU, marking an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared with 2024 and 0.8 percentage points compared with 2023.

Cyprus’ overall employment rate of 81.3 per cent represents a notable increase from 79.8 per cent in 2024, signalling continued labour market resilience.

The figures also showed that employment among men in Cyprus reached 86.4 per cent in 2025, up from 85 per cent in 2024, reflecting sustained strength in male participation.

At the same time, female employment in Cyprus rose to 76.3 per cent, compared with 75 per cent in 2024, indicating a steady improvement in women’s participation in the workforce.

Despite these gains, a gender employment gap remains evident in Cyprus, with a difference of 10.1 percentage points between men and women in 2025.

Across the European Union, men continued to have higher employment rates than women in almost all member states, with Lithuania the only exception.

The EU employment rate for men stood at 80.9 per cent, with the highest levels recorded in Malta, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

For women, the EU employment rate reached 71.3 per cent, with Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden leading the rankings.

The overall gender employment gap in the EU stood at 9.6 percentage points, slightly below the gap observed in Cyprus.

Among member states, the largest gender gaps were recorded in Italy, Romania and Greece, highlighting persistent disparities in southern Europe.

By contrast, the smallest gender differences were seen in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and Latvia, where employment rates between men and women were nearly balanced.

In terms of overall rankings, Malta recorded the highest employment rate in the EU at 83.6 per cent, followed closely by the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

At the lower end of the scale, Italy, Romania and Greece posted the weakest employment rates, underscoring ongoing structural challenges in those economies.

Eurostat said the latest data form part of a broader analysis of labour market trends across the European Union, offering insights into employment dynamics and participation levels.

The figures reinforce Cyprus’ position as one of the stronger-performing labour markets in the EU, supported by rising participation across both men and women.

At the same time, the report also underlines the importance of addressing gender disparities in employment, which remain a key challenge despite overall improvements.

Finally, the continued rise in employment levels both in Cyprus and across the EU reflects positive economic momentum, even as broader uncertainties persist.