Cyprus labour force at 338k in 2004

The number of employed persons in Cyprus reached 338.000, according to the 2004 report on “Labour Force Survey” published by the Statistical Service. The main findings of the survey note that the labour force amounted to 355.000 in 2004, consisting of 56% men and 44% women.

The employed persons reached 338.000 and the employment rate for persons 15-64 years was 69,1%. The corresponding rate for males stood at 80,0% while that for females was much lower at 59,0%. Both rates, however, are among the highest in the European Union.

The survey said that the labour force of Cyprus has a relatively high educational background since almost one-third (32%) of the workforce has completed tertiary education and 37% completed upper secondary education.

About 29.000 persons or 8,5% of the employed worked on a part-time basis and 55% of these reported that they did not want full-time employment and only 24% reported that they could not find a full-time job, it noted.

About 6,4% of the working population or 22.000 persons reported having a second job and a large proportion of these (44%) chose agriculture as a sideline. The unemployment rate amounted to 4,7% of the labour force, which was lower for males 3,5% and higher for females 6,2%.

The highest rate of unemployment was observed among young persons below 25 years of age where it accounted for 10,7% of the labour force of the same age group.