Graduates accounted for more than one-third of the labour force in Cyprus in 2007 and employment rates are among the highest in the EU, according to the Labour Force Survey 2007 report published by the Statistical Service.
According to the report, 35.4% of the workforce had completed tertiary education and 40.1% had completed upper secondary education.
The total labour force, amounted to 393,377 people, of which 55.1% were men and 44.9% women. The labour force includes both employed an unemployed people aged between 15 and 64.
The total number of employed persons reached 377,948, yielding an employment rate of 71.0 %.
The employment was rate higher among males, at 80.0 %, although the employment rate among females was fairly high by EU standards at 62.4%. The Statistical Service noted that both male and female employment rates are among the highest in the European Union.
The unemployment rate was 3.9%, which was lower for males (3.4%) and higher for females (4.6%). The highest rate of unemployment was observed among young persons below 25 years of age where it accounted for 10.2% of the labour force of the same age group.
Less than 10% work part time
About 27,000 or 7.3% of the employed worked on a part-time basis; 38.3% of these reported that they work on a part-time basis for other personal or family reasons, while 26.9% reported that it was because they could not find a full-time job.
Of the working population 4.3% or about 16,000 persons reported having a second job; a large proportion of these (36.8%) worked in agriculture as a sideline.
Many Cypriots tend agricultural plots at the weekend in the villages from which they hail.
Work-related accidents
The Labour Force Survey also detailed work-place accidents. Only 2.7% of those who worked in the past 12 months had had a work-related accident; 0.3% had had two or more, while 97.0% had not had any accident at work.
Among those who had suffered a work-related accident, 11.5% had had a road traffic accident while 88.5% had had another type of accident.
Among those who had had a work-related accident, 29.2% returned to work on the same day as the accident or took no time off; 27.1% returned to work after the first but before the fifth day after the accident; 23.4% returned to work after the fifth day but before 1 month after the accident while 14.6% returned to work after 1 month but before 3 months after the accident.
7,2% of the persons who work as well as of the persons who had worked in the past had one health problem caused or made worse by work during the past 12 months, 1,9% had two or more while 90,9% did not have any work-related health problem.
Out of the persons who had a health problem caused or made worse by work during the past 12 months, 29,2% had a bone, joint or muscle problem which mainly affects back, 15,2% had a bone, joint or muscle problem which mainly affects hips, legs or feet, 14,6% had a bone, joint or muscle problem which mainly affects neck, shoulders, arms or hands, 9,4% had a breathing or lung problem while 8,9% had a heart disease or other problem in the circulatory system.
One quarter feel pressure or overload
Of the persons who had had a health problem caused or made worse by work during the past 12 months, 27.3%, took less than one day or no time off from work, 24.0% took 1 day but less than 2 weeks off work while 10.9% expected never to work again owing to this problem.
Over one-quarter (25.9%) of workers stated that time pressure or work overload was a work-related factor that could adversely affect their mental well-being, 15.9% stated harassment or bullying, 0.5% stated violence, threat of violence or any other harassment while 57.7% did not state any work-related factor that could adversely affect their mental well-being.
Some 19.0% of the persons who work stated difficult work postures/ work movements or handling of heavy loads as the factor that could adversely affect their physical health, 17.5% stated risk of accidents, 8.4% stated chemicals, dusts, fumes, smoke or gases, 3.2% stated noise or vibration while 51.9% did not state any work-related factor that could adversely affect their physical health.
