**Cyprus State Workforce Sees Modest Increase in August 2026**
In August 2026, Cyprus recorded a slight increase in its state workforce, which reached a total of 53,080 employees. This figure represents a rise of 419 individuals, or 0.8 percent, compared to the previous year when the workforce numbered 52,661, according to data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) on Friday.
The growth in the state workforce was primarily driven by increases in the educational service and security forces, both of which saw employment rise by 2.2 percent. In contrast, the civil service experienced a decline, with staffing levels dropping by 1 percent.
Despite the decrease, the civil service remains the largest sector within the state workforce, employing 22,872 individuals as of August 2026, down from 23,108 the previous year. The educational service, however, saw a notable increase in employment, rising from 15,948 to 16,301 employees. The security forces also added personnel, growing from 13,605 to 13,907.
Among the different categories of employment, permanent employees constituted the largest group, with their numbers increasing by 0.2 percent from 32,853 to 32,907. However, employees holding indefinite-duration contracts saw the most significant growth, with a 3 percent increase from 9,303 to 9,581. Fixed-term employment also rose by 2.5 percent, from 3,810 to 3,907. Conversely, hourly paid workers were the only category to experience a decline, decreasing by 0.1 percent from 6,695 to 6,685.
Within the civil service, the trends varied. Permanent employees decreased by 0.4 percent, falling from 11,894 to 11,841. Indefinite-duration contracts in the civil service also saw a decline of 2.9 percent, dropping from 4,108 to 3,989. Hourly paid workers in this sector experienced a decrease of 2 percent, from 5,806 to 5,690. However, fixed-term employment within the civil service increased by 4 percent, rising from 1,300 to 1,352.
The educational service presented a contrasting scenario. While permanent employment saw a slight decline of 0.2 percent, falling from 12,465 to 12,444, the number of employees with indefinite-duration contracts surged by 26 percent, from 920 to 1,159. This marked the largest percentage increase across all services and employment categories. Additionally, fixed-term employees in education rose by 5.3 percent, reaching 2,552 compared to 2,423 the previous year. Hourly paid employment in the educational sector also increased by 4.3 percent, climbing from 140 to 146.
In the security forces, permanent employment rose by 1.5 percent, increasing from 8,494 to 8,622. Indefinite-duration contracts in this sector also saw a 3.7 percent increase, from 4,275 to 4,433. Hourly paid workers recorded a significant rise of 13.4 percent, climbing from 749 to 849. However, fixed-term employment in the security forces experienced a dramatic decline of 96.6 percent, dropping from 87 individuals to just three. Cystat attributed this sharp reduction to the completion and non-renewal of specific fixed-term contracts that occurred from August 2025 onwards.
Over the first eight months of 2026, the average number of state employees increased by 0.4 percent compared to the same period in 2025. Average permanent employment rose by 0.2 percent, while indefinite-duration employment increased by 1.8 percent. On the other hand, fixed-term and hourly paid employment saw slight declines of 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
Examining individual services, average civil service employment fell by 1 percent. Within this sector, permanent employment decreased by 0.5 percent, indefinite-duration contracts by 2.9 percent, and hourly paid employment by 1.4 percent, while fixed-term employment increased by 2.3 percent. In the educational service, average employment rose by 2.1 percent, driven by a remarkable 25.1 percent increase in indefinite-duration contracts, along with 3.8 percent growth in fixed-term employment and 2.5 percent among hourly paid workers. However, permanent employment in education saw a slight decline of 0.2 percent.
In the security forces, average employment increased by 0.3 percent. Permanent employment rose by 1.7 percent, while indefinite-duration employment increased by 1.3 percent. Hourly paid employment in this sector saw a substantial rise of 8.7 percent, although fixed-term employment experienced a significant drop of 90.6 percent.
The data reflects ongoing trends in the Cypriot labor market, highlighting shifts in employment categories and the dynamics within various sectors of the state workforce.