Cyprus’ state workforce reached 53,080 employees in August 2026, rising by 419 people or 0.8 per cent from 52,661 a year earlier, according to figures released on Friday by the statistical service (Cystat). 

The increase came as employment in both the educational service and security forces rose by 2.2 per cent, while civil service staffing fell by 1 per cent. 

The civil service remained the largest of the three services, although employment declined from 23,108 to 22,872. 

Meanwhile, the educational service grew from 15,948 to 16,301 employees, while the security forces added 302 people to reach 13,907. 

Across the state workforce, permanent employees remained by far the largest category, with their number rising by 0.2 per cent from 32,853 to 32,907. 

However, employees with indefinite-duration contracts recorded the strongest overall growth, increasing by 3 per cent from 9,303 to 9,581. 

Fixed-term employment also increased, rising by 2.5 per cent from 3,810 to 3,907. 

Hourly paid workers were the only category to decline overall, slipping by 0.1 per cent from 6,695 to 6,685. 

Within the civil service, permanent employees fell by 0.4 per cent from 11,894 to 11,841, while those with indefinite-duration contracts declined by 2.9 per cent from 4,108 to 3,989. 

Hourly paid workers also decreased by 2 per cent, from 5,806 to 5,690, but fixed-term employees rose by 4 per cent from 1,300 to 1,352. 

Education presented a different picture, with growth concentrated among non-permanent employees. 

Although permanent employees declined slightly by 0.2 per cent from 12,465 to 12,444, indefinite-duration contracts jumped by 26 per cent, from 920 to 1,159, the largest percentage increase across all services and categories. 

At the same time, fixed-term employees in education rose by 5.3 per cent, reaching 2,552 compared with 2,423 a year earlier. 

Hourly paid employment also increased, rising by 4.3 per cent from 140 to 146. 

In the security forces, permanent employment increased by 1.5 per cent from 8,494 to 8,622, while indefinite-duration contracts rose by 3.7 per cent from 4,275 to 4,433. 

Hourly paid workers recorded an even stronger increase of 13.4 per cent, climbing from 749 to 849. 

The sharpest change again came in fixed-term security force employment, which fell by 96.6 per cent from 87 people to just three. 

According to Cystat, the reduction mainly reflected the completion and non-renewal of specific fixed-term contracts from August 2025 onwards. 

Over the first eight months of the year, the average number of state employees increased by 0.4 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2025. 

Average permanent employment rose by 0.2 per cent and indefinite-duration employment increased by 1.8 per cent, while fixed-term and hourly paid employment fell by 0.6 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively. 

Looking at the individual services, average civil service employment declined by 1 per cent. 

Permanent employment fell by 0.5 per cent, indefinite-duration contracts by 2.9 per cent and hourly paid employment by 1.4 per cent, whereas fixed-term employment increased by 2.3 per cent. 

Average employment in the educational service rose by 2.1 per cent, supported by increases of 25.1 per cent in indefinite-duration contracts, 3.8 per cent in fixed-term employment and 2.5 per cent among hourly paid workers. 

Permanent employment, on the other hand, declined by 0.2 per cent. 

Meanwhile, average employment in the security forces increased by 0.3 per cent. 

Permanent employment rose by 1.7 per cent, indefinite-duration employment by 1.3 per cent and hourly paid employment by 8.7 per cent, while fixed-term employment dropped by 90.6 per cent.