Cyprus recorded 13,905 job vacancies in the first quarter of 2026, with the job vacancy rate standing at 2.8 per cent, according to the Statistical Service (Cystat). 

Overall, the figures point to continued demand for workers across key parts of the economy, particularly in services, construction and tourism-related activities. 

Cystat said the highest job vacancy rates in the first quarter were recorded in arts, sports and recreation, where the rate reached 5.1 per cent. 

Construction followed with a job vacancy rate of 4.7 per cent, while accommodation and food service activities stood at 4 per cent. 

In terms of the actual number of vacancies, wholesale and retail trade accounted for the largest share, with 2,649 openings in the first quarter of 2026. 

Accommodation and food service activities followed with 2,189 vacancies. 

Construction, for its part, recorded 1,997 vacancies, making it one of the strongest contributors to overall labour demand during the quarter. 

Professional, scientific and technical activities also remained significant, with 1,086 vacancies, while public administration and defence, including compulsory social security, stood at 922. 

Manufacturing recorded 905 vacancies, while administrative and support service activities reached 668. 

Elsewhere, education posted 589 vacancies, transportation and storage stood at 567, and arts, sports and recreation recorded 547. 

Telecommunication, computer programming, consulting, computing infrastructure and other information service activities, meanwhile, reached 530 vacancies, with a job vacancy rate of 2.4 per cent. 

Human health and social work activities recorded 416 vacancies, while other service activities stood at 297. 

Financial and insurance activities posted 225 vacancies, with one of the lowest vacancy rates among the larger sectors, at 0.9 per cent. 

At the same time, publishing, broadcasting, and content production and distribution activities recorded 120 vacancies, while real estate activities stood at 113. 

Among the smaller sectors, water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities recorded 48 vacancies, electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply stood at 34, and mining and quarrying recorded 3 vacancies. 

In rate terms, after arts, sports and recreation, construction and accommodation and food service activities, wholesale and retail trade followed with a vacancy rate of 3.5 per cent. 

Administrative and support service activities stood at 3 per cent, while public administration and defence recorded 2.7 per cent. 

Transportation and storage followed at 2.5 per cent, while professional, scientific and technical activities and telecommunication-related activities both stood at 2.4 per cent. 

Manufacturing recorded a job vacancy rate of 2.3 per cent, while electricity supply and publishing-related activities each stood at 1.8 per cent. 

Real estate activities, human health and social work activities, and other service activities each recorded a vacancy rate of 1.6 per cent, while education stood at 1.5 per cent. 

Water supply and waste management activities recorded 1.1 per cent, financial and insurance activities stood at 0.9 per cent, and mining and quarrying recorded 0.5 per cent. 

According to Cystat, a job vacancy refers to a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied or about to become vacant, where the employer is actively seeking a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise and intends to fill the position either immediately or within a specific period. 

The job vacancy rate, meanwhile, is calculated as the number of job vacancies expressed as a percentage of the total number of occupied posts and job vacancies.