Cyprus recorded labour shortages in 63 occupations in 2024, alongside surpluses in 11 occupations, according to the EURES Report on Labour Shortages and Surpluses 2025, published on Monday.
The report shows that staffing gaps in Cyprus cover a wide range of sectors, from healthcare and information technology to hospitality, transport, construction and agriculture.
The most severe shortages were identified among nurses, midwives, information and communication technology sales professionals, systems analysts, software and application developers, web and multimedia developers, medical imaging technicians, waiters and bus drivers.
Moderate shortages were also recorded in a broad range of occupations, including restaurant managers, retail and wholesale managers, accountants, electricians, electronic and mechanical technicians, chefs, shop assistants, cashiers, construction workers, air-conditioning and refrigeration technicians, welders, heavy vehicle drivers, cleaners, and workers in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and construction.
Lower-severity shortages were listed for health and elderly care service managers, engineers in several fields, general and specialist doctors, hotel receptionists, cooks, healthcare assistants, carpenters, plumbers, electrical technicians, bakers and kitchen assistants.
At European level, the report notes that labour shortages remain widespread but are concentrated in a relatively small number of countries. EURES says this points to continued scope for stronger cross-border labour mobility within the European labour market.
Countries including Bulgaria, Italy and the Netherlands were found to face difficulty filling a wide range of posts, from doctors to welders, while 57% of shortages were classified as moderate or severe. By contrast, countries such as Latvia, Austria and Finland more frequently reported labour surpluses, mainly in administrative and creative occupations.
The report also found that 98% of occupations facing shortages in at least one member state were simultaneously in surplus in another EU country, underlining the mismatch between available workers and demand across borders.
EURES attributes the persistence of these imbalances to several factors, including limited awareness among workers of job opportunities abroad, difficulties in recognising professional qualifications between member states, language barriers and differences in pay.
The health and care sectors receive particular attention in the report, with Europe facing some of its most significant and persistent staffing shortages in these areas. The trend is linked to population ageing and rising demand for health services.
The green transition is also increasing demand for occupations such as electricians, plumbers and roofers, as EU economies adapt to new energy and environmental needs.
To address the problem, the report recommends measures including simpler recognition of professional qualifications, easier administrative procedures, better job quality, investment in vocational training and upskilling, and greater activation of underused labour, including women, older workers and migrants.
The report is based on administrative data from public employment services and other national sources submitted by EURES National Coordination Offices for 2024.
Source: CNA
